Harvard Professor and "How Democracies Die" Co-Author Criticizes Trump’s Foreign Student Policy: "Like North Korea"

Levitsky, Harvard Professor, Criticizes Trump Administration
"Closing Doors to Foreign Students Is Like North Korea"
U.S. Government Notifies Harvard of SEVP Certification Cancellation

Steven Levitsky, a renowned political scientist and professor at Harvard University in the United States, strongly criticized President Donald Trump's policy of blocking foreign students. He is well known as the co-author of the bestseller "How Democracies Die," which is frequently referenced in South Korean political circles.

Steven Levitsky, Professor at Harvard University, USA. Official Website

According to Yonhap News, Professor Levitsky gave an interview to the Argentine media outlet La Nacion on the 29th (local time). Yonhap News reported that Professor Levitsky said, "I truly cannot imagine a situation where there are no foreign students at Harvard," and added, "Forcing the university to close its doors to foreign students is akin to North Korea." He continued, "I speak daily with students who may not be in the United States next week," and "They have devoted most of their lives to Harvard and have sacrificed a great deal, but now they live in fear in the face of an uncertain future."

Professor Levitsky said, "Ninety percent of my PhD students are from Latin America," and "Both these students and the faculty share a broad consensus and pride that Harvard's leadership in standing up to the government is the right thing to do." He emphasized the importance of Harvard's role, stating, "If the U.S. government defeats and subjugates Harvard, other universities will realize that they cannot stand up to Trump either."

He criticized, "In a second Trump administration, state institutions are being mobilized to attack opponents in even more extreme ways than during the first term," and added, "It is worse than Hugo Chavez (former President of Venezuela), Viktor Orban (Prime Minister of Hungary), and Recep Tayyip Erdogan (President of Turkey)." He continued, "Our society is in a kind of daze, as if in the first round of a boxing match, shocked by what is happening," and cautiously expressed optimism, saying, "I believe in the balance of power. Civil society can prevent the government from unilaterally pushing through its policies."

Regarding Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, who is often called the 'Trump of Argentina,' he said, "He is much more ideologically right-wing than Trump," but also assessed, "At least for now, Argentine democracy is more robust than that of the United States."

As the U.S. government exerts pressure on international students at Harvard University, the graduation ceremony was held on the 29th (local time). Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Previously, on the 22nd, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security canceled Harvard University's certification for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). SEVP is a program under the Department of Homeland Security that manages student visas, and universities must have SEVP certification to issue documents such as the I-20 certificate of eligibility to foreign students. However, a local court granted Harvard's request for a preliminary injunction to suspend the cancellation, allowing foreign students and researchers with exchange visitor visas at Harvard to maintain their residency status during the trial period.

Nevertheless, on the 29th, the Department of Homeland Security again notified that it intends to cancel Harvard's SEVP certification on the grounds of "non-compliance with federal regulations." The reasons cited by the Department of Homeland Security were: failure to comply with reporting requirements under the regulations; failure to maintain a campus free from violence and antisemitism; and concerns about practices involving foreign organizations that raise national security issues. The department also notified that if Harvard does not respond to the request for explanation within the 30-day period, or fails to prove that it has complied with all legal requirements, the SEVP certification will be canceled.

As a result, the anxiety among foreign students has not been alleviated. The number of foreign students enrolled at Harvard (including both students and exchange visitors) is reported to be about 6,800 for the 2024-2025 academic year, accounting for 27% of the total student body. President Trump has previously demanded that this proportion be reduced to 15%.