On Friday, April 11th, amidst the controversy surrounding the expulsion of pro-Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University, it was reported that over a dozen international students, including those from institutions like Stony Brook University in New York, had their visas revoked.
According to Newsday, Stony Brook University has revoked the student visas of at least 11 international students. The university, however, declined to disclose any information regarding these students or whether they were involved in pro-Palestinian protests. Similar protests at other institutions across the United States, including Columbia University, have resulted in visa cancellations for students.
Other schools on Long Island, such as SUNY Old Westbury and Hofstra University, stated that they have not encountered any visa issues on their campuses.
A report from the previous day in the Daily News mentioned that universities in New York reported that at least 50 international students in the state have been affected, including 21 students at the state universities and 17 international students at the City University of New York (CUNY) whose visa statuses have changed.
Officials from the University at Buffalo announced this week that visas of four current students and nine recent graduates have been revoked.
It remains unclear how many visas have been directly revoked and whether these actions are related to campus protest activities.
Holly Liapis, a spokesperson for the State University of New York, told the media that they are monitoring the situation closely and working with the schools to “ensure our students understand their rights.”
However, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated in a release last month that “having the privilege to live and study in the United States on a visa is a privilege, not a right.”
The Trump administration has been cracking down on international student visas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in March that over 300 student visas had been revoked, with some of them linked to anti-Israel actions.