Reports from a non-governmental organization indicate that over 500 foreign students in the United States have reported that their visas have been revoked.
On Tuesday, April 8th, the Financial Times reported that the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) in the United States has compiled reports from various universities across the country confirming 500 cases of student visa revocations.
Fanta Aw, the Executive Director of NAFSA, expressed unprecedented concern over the number of student visas being revoked. She worries that the government’s actions lack clear regulations and could lead to anxiety. NAFSA is a non-governmental organization composed of universities and individuals engaged in international education and exchange.
Throughout the United States, reports have surfaced of foreign students having their visa eligibility revoked by the State Department for involvement in campus activities supporting Hamas or opposing Zionism.
Recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that at least 300 individuals have had their visas revoked, and he plans to legally expel foreign students who support designated terrorist organizations within the U.S.
Rubio emphasized that foreign student visas are meant for academic purposes, not for engaging in disruptive “activism” on campus.
He questioned, “Which country in the world would allow people (referring to foreigners) to come in and create chaos? Any country in the world has the right to decide who can enter as a visitor and who cannot.”
Foreign students are a significant source of revenue for American universities and a critical factor in universities opposing government efforts to strengthen regulations.
Once a student’s visa is revoked by the State Department, they must leave the U.S. and reapply for a visa after reassessment. Institutions typically struggle to easily track visa cases for students or provide support.
NAFSA’s Executive Director disclosed that the Department of Homeland Security has initiated a process of “status termination” for students whose visas have been revoked. She added that the appeals process for two related cases has been unclear.
She warned that a significant number of lawsuits against the government for canceling student visas are on the horizon.
The Trump administration’s tough enforcement on immigration has sparked a series of litigations, some of which may reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
Several universities have issued warnings to students and staff, advising against travelling abroad out of concern that they may not be able to return to the U.S. smoothly.
Reports of visa revocations have spread this week from students at elite universities like Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia to higher education institutions in various states, involving students of different nationalities and reasons for revocation even including traffic violations.
On Monday, after the Department of Homeland Security called for students with revoked visas to “self-deport,” 16 U.S. university associations jointly urged the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to provide situational updates.
They noted that the directive from authorities lacked supplementary information on how to appeal or verify the decisions to ensure correct identification of these students.
They emphasized that U.S. universities enroll one million international students who contribute approximately $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy and create 375,000 domestic jobs.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not responded to requests for comments.
(This article has been partially based on reports from the Financial Times)