The Administration’s move is the latest escalation in its attack on elite universities across the U.S., with heavy penalties levied on Harvard, including a threat to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status. Those penalties have only grown more severe as Harvard has refused to capitulate to the Administration’s demands.

Harvard and the federal government are locked in a battle that boils down to turning over records on international students. But Harvard says it is also about the First Amendment.

The implications for Indian students are profound. With 788 Indian nationals currently enrolled at Harvard, many now face a precarious situation — risking deportation or being forced to transfer if the government’s actions are upheld.