NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign nationals — more than a quarter of the student body — in a dramatic escalation of the US president’s fight against the prestigious university.

The school in Cambridge, Massachusetts quickly slammed the move as “unlawful” and said it would hurt both the campus and the country, while one student said the community was “panicking.”

Trump is furious at Harvard — which has produced 162 Nobel prize winners — for rejecting his demand that it submit to oversight on admissions and hiring over his claims that it is a hotbed of anti-Semitism and “woke” liberal ideology.

The loss of such a large proportion of the student body could prove to be a huge financial blow to Harvard, which charges tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition.

“Effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification is revoked,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a letter to the Ivy League institution, referring to the main system by which foreign students are permitted to study in the US.

Harvard, which has sued the government over a separate raft of punitive measures, quickly fired back, calling the move “unlawful.”

“We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars,” it said in a statement, adding that it was working to offer students guidance and support. 

“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”

More than 27 percent of Harvard’s enrollment was made up of foreign students in the 2024-25 academic year, according to university data.

Fourth-year US student Alice Goyer told AFP “no one knows” what the development would mean for international students already enrolled. 

“We just got the news, so I’ve been getting texts from a lot of international friends, and I think everyone’s just — no one knows,” she said.

“Everyone’s panicking a bit.”

On whether students would willingly transfer to other institutions, as suggested by Noem in the letter, Goyer said, “I doubt people would do that.”

“I would hope maybe there’s going to be a legal battle that’ll take place.”