Harvard agreed to turn over employee I-9 forms to the federal government on Tuesday to prove the work eligibility and citizenship of its staff, according to an email sent to faculty.
The university will send documents for nearly all employees, barring students, to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following the department’s probe, Harvard announced in an email obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Trump administration has been wary of universities’ foreign students and staff, both due to its increased focus on illegal immigration and due to the rampant anti-Israel and anti-American protests overtaking college campuses in recent years.
DHS sent a Notice of Inspection (NOI) and subpoena to Harvard on July 8, demanding records of all currently employed staff and those within the past 12 months. The university said in the email that it’s currently reviewing whether student records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which safeguards the privacy of students’ education records.
DHS did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
The administration has made several efforts to revoke Harvard’s ability to host foreign students, citing a “toxic campus climate” related to allegedly unmanaged antisemitism. The State Department announced recently it has opened an investigation into the university’s use of the foreign student visa program to ensure it has not violated any regulations and remains an eligible sponsor for foreign students.
Harvard is reportedly closing in on an agreement with the Trump administration following months of turmoil after the federal government revoked over $2 billion in funding from the university when it vowed not to comply with demands to tackle antisemitism. The administration has also targeted Harvard’s accreditation.
Anti-Israel demonstrations at Harvard consisted of disrupting classes and occupying a campus building.
A September 2024 congressional investigation found “Harvard failed” to enforce meaningful punishment on nearly 70 students who were involved in a multi-day pro-Hamas encampment during the previous spring semester. A more recent internal investigation revealed that more than a quarter of Jewish students felt “physically unsafe” on campus and “Almost 60% of Jewish students reported experiencing ‘discrimination, stereotyping, or negative bias.’”
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