International students from major universities in the United States are facing the threat of deportation after their study visas were revoked this week. Universities such as Stanford University, the University of California, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst have seen several of their students’ visas revoked.
When a student visa is revoked, the student’s legal right to stay in the U.S. is cancelled, and they risk deportation. Historically, students’ legal statuses were not always immediately revoked when their visas were canceled, but under the current administration, some students have seen their status revoked within hours of their visa being revoked.
Immigration authorities do not inform universities of these actions, so the institutions must proactively check the SEVIS system to find out the status of their students’ visas.
At Stanford University, federal authorities revoked the visas of two recent graduates and four students. The university discovered this during a routine check of the SEVIS database. Although Stanford was unable to share details due to privacy concerns, the university did notify the affected students and offered them legal assistance. They also confirmed that no immigration authorities were present on campus when the revocation news broke.
The revocations align with the broader immigration policy of the current administration, which has intensified efforts to tighten immigration laws, boost deportations, and target college activists. Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported that over 300 student visas had been revoked.
At the University of California, Davis, seven students and five recent graduates had their F-1 visas terminated. The university learned about this from their Services for International Students and Scholars unit. Federal agents did not enter the campus, and no members of the UC community were taken into custody. The university clarified that its police force would not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement regarding students’ legal status.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst also reported that five international students had their visas revoked, with their student statuses terminated. Similar incidents occurred at Minnesota State University in Mankato, where the visas of five international students were revoked for unclear reasons. Other institutions, including Arizona State University, Cornell University, North Carolina State, the University of Oregon, the University of Texas, and the University of Colorado, have seen similar actions against international students.
