Canadian students at Harvard University are expressing shock and deep anxiety following a surprise move by the Trump administration to bar the Ivy League institution from enrolling foreign students, a decision that was temporarily blocked by a U.S. federal judge hours after it was announced.
Among those affected is Thomas Mete, a fourth-year student from Ridgeway, Ontario, who described the news as “complete shock” that rippled through group chats of Canadian and international students. Mete and his peers were blindsided, with no advance warning before learning of the ban through media reports. “When I accepted my offer to go to Harvard in 2022, something like this was never on the table,” he said.
The announcement came Thursday when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security accused Harvard of fostering an unsafe campus environment and cited unproven links to the Chinese Communist Party. It further alleged that the university had enabled “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” to assault Jewish students on campus.
Harvard, which currently hosts nearly 6,800 international students from over 100 countries — including a significant number of Canadians — responded swiftly by filing a lawsuit in federal court in Boston. The university called the move unconstitutional and retaliatory. In its filing, Harvard said the decision would have an immediate and devastating effect, stripping away the legal status of over 7,000 student visa holders. “With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body,” the suit states. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.”
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order hours later, blocking the administration from revoking Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. A hearing is scheduled for May 29 to determine whether a more permanent injunction will be granted.
In a message sent to its international students, Harvard emphasized solidarity and support: “You matter. Your presence at Harvard matters, and we will fight for you.”
John Gobin, a Canadian in his second year at Harvard Law School and co-prime minister of the Canadian Law Students Association, said the news has triggered widespread stress and confusion. “It’s a very anxiety-inducing moment,” he said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty — not knowing if I’ll be able to return in September, or how this might affect our studies long term.”
Gobin and Mete described strong support networks among the Canadian and international student communities. “We have forums and chats to share updates and help each other navigate visa issues,” Gobin explained. “At a time like this, even just being able to talk to someone going through the same thing is therapeutic.”
Harvard student groups say many students are deeply concerned about the impact on academic research, thesis work, and on-campus commitments. “Our whole lives are tied up in Cambridge and with Harvard,” said Mete. “This move by the Department of Homeland Security really throws all of that into chaos.”
The Canadian government has not issued an official response, despite the fact that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s daughter is currently enrolled at Harvard. The Prime Minister’s Office has not replied to media inquiries on the matter.
As the legal battle unfolds, Canadian students and their families continue to wait anxiously, hoping that the courts — and not politics — will decide their academic future.