US president, Donald Trump has revoked hundreds of student visas for various reasons forcing affected students to leave the US immediately.
Universities have reported some students being forced to leave immediately, in many cases after discovering their visas were canceled in the federal Student Exchange and Visitor Information System or via an unexpected text or email.
The visa cancellations have affected international students in California, Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts and Florida, among others.
Reasons For Cancellation
Some of the cancellations appear to be due to things as minor as roommate disputes or off-campus traffic tickets, while others appear to be connected to pro-Palestinian protest participation.
There is no central accounting of how many students have had their visas revoked or where they came from but checks revealed many of the foreign students involved in campus protests were from the Middle East.
This round of visa cancellations has prompted some students to leave immediately, including those who are close to graduating as failure to do so means they could be deported and barred from returning to the US.
Earlier Warnings
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said last month that he’s revoked at least 300 visas of students he described as “lunatics,” citing pro-Palestinian support or activism, activities that are normally considered protected First Amendment rights.
“It might be more than 300 at this point. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” Rubio said at a press conference.
Confirming the start of the policy, Colorado State University officials said six students there lost their visas, and university officials escorted some of them to the airport to fly home. It’s unclear whether the students have the right to appeal their visa revocations.
“To date, no specific justification for the visa revocations has been provided to the impacted individuals or CSU,” Kathleen Fairfax, the university’s vice provost for international affairs, said in a statement.
“We are working proactively with the students to help them connect with appropriate legal resources and understand their options. CSU is providing this support based on students’ personal decisions.”
At the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Chancellor Javier Reyes said five international students lost their visas and urged other students to check their own status. He said affected students are being offered financial assistance through the university’s “Angel Fund,” which was created during the first Trump presidency to help students affected by changes in immigration laws.
Reyes, who first came to the United States from Mexico on a student visa himself, called the American higher education system “the envy of the world” and promised international students “unwavering support as we confront this new reality.”
New York University professor Robert Cohen, who studies protest movements, said targeting students because they attended rallies or wrote pro-Palestinan letters is a thinly veiled attempt by Trump to clamp down on dissent.
“It speaks to the issue that Donald Trump and these right-wing people don’t actually believe in free speech,” Cohen said.
The American Council on Education and 15 other higher education groups have requested a briefing from federal officials. The groups noted that Trump has the responsibility and right to safeguard national security but asked for an explanation of the decision-making process.
“Recent actions have contributed to uncertainty and impedes the ability of our institutions to best advise international students and scholars,” the groups wrote in an April 4 letter to Rubio and other officials.
“It is important institutions are in a position to reassure international students so they can continue to make exceptional contributions to their campuses, communities, and the nation.”
