Harvard University said it will comply with President Donald Trump’s administration’s demands to turn over employment forms for thousands of university staff, according to an email the university sent to current and former employees that was provided to Newsweek.
In a statement provided to Newsweek, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that the administration was having “to do things the hard way” because Harvard “allowed foreign students to abuse their visa privileges and advocate for violence and terrorism on campus.”
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump’s administration has been warring with Harvard for months after the university rejected a series of demands for changes to limit activism on campus and end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The administration accused Harvard and other universities of allowing antisemitism to run rampant on campus amid pro-Palestinian demonstrations last year.
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What To Know
In an email to the Harvard community on Tuesday, Harvard said it received a notice of inspection and a related subpoena from DHS seeking to inspect the I-9, or Employment Eligibility Verification, forms and supporting documentation for university employees. The email was first reported by The Boston Globe.
Harvard said it would not immediately produce the I-9 records for students who are currently or were previously hired in roles that are only open to students.
“We are evaluating the government’s position on whether the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) permits disclosure of those records,” it said.
All employers and their employees are required by federal law to complete I-9 forms, which are used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for work in the U.S., according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ website. Federal regulations entitle the government to access the paperwork.
Harvard employees about 19,000 people, according to the university’s website.
The administration has cut more than $2.6 billion in research grants, ended federal contracts and threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. The university has sued over the cuts, and separately taken legal action over the administration’s efforts to keep it from hosting international students.
Meanwhile, there is pressure on Harvard to reach a deal with the Trump administration after Columbia University agreed to pay more than $200 million as part of a settlement to resolve investigations into alleged violations of federal antidiscrimination laws and restore more than $400 million in research grants. The New York Times reported on Monday that Harvard was open to spending up to $500 million to resolve the dispute with the White House.
What People Are Saying
Harvard said in the email to current and former employees: “We have asked DHS to confirm that the records produced in response to this notice for any individual will be securely maintained by DHS and not shared outside DHS, that the documents will only be accessed by DHS personnel authorized to inspect such records, and that DHS will only use these records for the purposes authorized by law.”
Noem said in the statement to Newsweek: “If Harvard won’t defend the interests of its students, then we will. We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard. Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way. Harvard, like other universities, has allowed foreign students to abuse their visa privileges and advocate for violence and terrorism on campus.”
President Donald Trump lashed out at a federal judge overseeing Harvard’s lawsuit over the funding cuts, writing on Truth Social on July 21: “Harvard has $52 Billion Dollars sitting in the Bank, and yet they are anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America. Much of this money comes from the U.S.A., all to the detriment of other Schools, Colleges, and Institutions, and we are not going to allow this unfair situation to happen any longer. How did this Trump-hating Judge get these cases? When she rules against us, we will IMMEDIATELY appeal, and WIN.”
What’s Next
It remains unclear when, or if, Harvard and the Trump administration may reach an agreement to resolve the dispute.
Update 7/30/25, 10:55 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to add a statement from Kristi Noem.
