President Donald Trump's administration has halted Harvard University's ability to enroll international students in the latest escalation of a row with the Ivy League school that could have implications for foreign applicants interested in attending the venerable college.

The Department of Homeland Security notified the nation's oldest and wealthiest college on May 22 of its decision, accusing the university of fostering antisemitism and ignoring requests for information after Harvard questioned the legality of the department's request for records on foreign students.

DHS said that it had terminated Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, meaning the university can no longer enroll foreign students and existing ones must transfer or lose their legal status.

"This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism … on its campus," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. "It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments."

She added: "Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their SEVP certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country".

Jason Newton, Harvard University's director of media relations, hit back in a statement describing the action as "unlawful". He said that the college was "fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the university — and this nation — immeasurably".

He added that they were offering guidance and support to those affected and said that the retaliatory action threatened "serious harm" to Harvard's community and the country, and undermined the college's academic and research mission.

But DHS accused Harvard's leadership of "creating an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment".

It went on to say that many of the agitators are "foreign students". The decision by DHS will likely spark another legal challenge by the college, which already sued the Trump administration in April for trying to force it to make changes to its curriculum, admissions and staffing.

It also comes a year after widespread pro-Palestinian protests rippled across campuses nationwide, disrupting schools over the Israel-Gaza war.

Harvard is well known for its international students. This year it has approximately 6,800 international students, representing around 27 percent of the student body, university data shows.

The school estimates that each year, anywhere from 1,800 to 2,300 Chinese students and scholars study at Harvard. It described its academic and research engagement with China as running deep, because "historically, China has been a popular destination for Harvard affiliates to study, research, attend conferences and travel."

The Cambridge campus is also home to several organizations that offer opportunities connected to China. They include: the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, the Harvard China Fund, Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard-Yenching Institute, Harvard-China Project, and Asia Center.

By blocking Harvard's ability to enroll international students, the Trump administration has cut off a significant means for the college to raise money.

Tuition for this upcoming school year at Harvard will cost $59,320. If a student also needs room and board the costs can rise to $87,000. Prices are even higher for international students.

DHS said that it had taken the action against Harvard due to several events this year. It said that on April 16 Secretary Noem asked Harvard to provide information about the "criminality and misconduct of foreign students on its campus". Secretary Noem warned that refusal to comply would result in SEVP termination.

Harvard expressed concern over the request in a letter to the government on April 30. It feared the information could lead to students' deportation.

Meredith Weenick, the university's executive vice-president, wrote in a letter that it would continue its "steadfast commitment to sponsor the visas that facilitate our international students' study at Harvard". It also responded to the request from Noem.

But DHS terminated $2.7 million in grants for Harvard in April. It said that it did so as Harvard had "brazenly" refused to provide the required information requested and said it also ignored a follow-up request from the Department's Office of General Council.

DHS also listed several other issues that have led to what it describes as a "toxic campus climate" at Harvard.