In an increasing number of cases, US immigration authorities have revoked student permits for foreign nationals attending prestigious universities like Stanford, Harvard, and Tufts, which has alarmed university officials. According to cases filed by two students, their visas were revoked without following the proper procedures.
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According to statements made by colleges over the past several days, the new cancellations—which are frequently only found by institutions after federal immigration records are updated—have impacted both students and recent graduates.
Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that at least 300 of these visas had been revoked, part of the Trump administration’s larger efforts to increase oversight of foreign students.
“We are still trying to get a good handle on what is happening, trying to try to track this and get a better understanding of the scope and breadth of it,” said Shev Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national and PhD candidate at Tufts University, is one of the most well-known incidents; she was arrested by federal officials last month when she was out on the street.
Another concerns Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University alumnus whose visa was cancelled for taking part in pro-Palestinian protests. As the government attempts to deport them, Ozturk and Khalil are both presently being detained in an immigration detention.
The Los Angeles Times said on Monday that numerous institutions in California, including UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, and Stanford, have lately revoked the visas of scores of students and recent graduates. Two students who have not been named have sued in federal court, claiming that their visas were revoked without due process, in some cases over minor legal infractions such as driving violations.
Response from Stanford and Harvard Universities to Student Visas Revoking
In a statement released on Friday, Stanford said, “The university learned of six students who had their student visas revoked.” The institution stated it does not provide student or personnel records to immigration authorities unless compelled by law, and a working committee on immigration is still in session.
On Sunday, Harvard announced that the student visas of two recent graduates and three current Harvard students had been revoked. The Associated Press reports that additional universities, including the University of Oregon, Minnesota State University, Arizona State University, and Dartmouth College, have also announced cancellations.
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Requests for responses from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the State Department were not answered.
Although the State Department has traditionally had the power to cancel visas, Dalal-Dheini stated that the current wave is more extensive and well-coordinated than previous enforcement measures.
At marches in dozens of US cities on April 5, anti-Trump demonstrators brought attention to a number of problems, including the cancellation of visas. The examples of Ozturk and Khalil were cited by some organizers as representative of what they perceive to be discrimination against international students and free expression on campus.
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