International Student Visa Revocations Continue

International students studying at colleges and universities across the country are continuing to have their visas revoked and/or their Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records terminated. The number of visa revocations at institutions differ from school to school and not all international students are being targeted.

Approximately 1,700 international students have been reported to have had their visas revoked, but the actual number could be much higher depending on whether the individual or institution have made the revocations public.

Students and the institutions they attend are finding out about the revocations in different ways. Some students are receiving official notices from the State Department and are being asked to return to their home countries immediately. Some institutions are checking SEVIS records regularly and are finding records removed prior to students being notified. In many of the notices, the State Department informs students that their visa revocation notice will be turned over to the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, and, if the student remains in the U.S., they risk immediate deportation. Further, students are being warned that upon deportation they may be sent to countries different than their country of origin.

Some of the notices going to students cite reasons for termination that include “past criminal activity” or being a “foreign policy threat.” Other students have not been informed of any reason to justify their visa termination. In response to the notices, reports indicate that some students have decided to leave the United States.

Lawsuits are being filed by organizations representing groups of affected students. Recently, a U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Georgia issued a Temporary Restraining Order in response to a lawsuit filed by three organizations representing 133 international students. The judge ordered the government to temporarily reinstate the SEVIS records and visas of these students for two weeks, until the case can be considered more fully.

An executive order issued by President Trump in January directs federal agencies involved in visa processing to tighten the vetting of visa applications. The State Department has indicated it will use AI to assist in reviewing tens of thousands of current student visa holders. Targeting the social media accounts of current international students studying in the U.S., this effort would “catch and revoke” the visas of anyone deemed to be involved in pro-terrorist activities. Individuals involved in anti-Israel demonstrations or pro-Hamas activities or protests will likely be primary targets for enforcement of this directive. While the current visa revocation efforts seem to involve AI assistance, far more students have seen their visas revoked who report no involvement in campus protests.

NAICU joined a community letter sent jointly to the Departments of State and Homeland Security asking for a briefing on the administration’s plans regarding the revocation of student visas, requests to self-deport, and the elimination of their records in SEVIS. 

For more information, please contact:
Karin Johns