US Government Revokes Visas of Hundreds of International Students, Sparking Concerns
The Trump administration has revoked the visas of hundreds of international students and detained several others on college campuses across the United States, often without warning and without the opportunity to appeal. This has caused significant distress within the international student community, especially after videos of some arrests went viral, showing officers in plain clothes detaining students.
According to data from Inside Higher Ed, over 80 universities have reported the revocation of visas for international students and faculty, including major institutions like the University of Texas, the University of Oregon, and the University of Florida. These measures have primarily targeted students involved in political activities, including pro-Palestinian protests, while some students had their visas revoked for minor legal infractions such as speeding tickets or other offenses.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that student visas may be revoked if authorities believe the individuals are engaged in activities that undermine US national interests. Meanwhile, immigration lawyers and experts have emphasized that students have the same First Amendment rights to free speech as US citizens, and it is unusual for students to be deported due to political expression.
Many of the affected students have been sent to detention centers across the US, where they await deportation. Some of those detained have claimed that they were arrested without clear explanations. At least 300 student visas have been revoked so far, and several students have filed lawsuits to challenge these actions, arguing that they were detained without legitimate cause.
One of the most notable cases involves Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate from Columbia University, and Rumeysa Ozturk, a student from Turkey at Tufts University, who were both detained by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents while going about their daily activities.
