Student Visa Crackdown Hits Major Milestone

More than 500 international students have had their visas revoked amid a wave of federal database removals as the Trump administration ramps up its crackdown on universities.

Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.

Why It Matters

The Trump administration has announced plans to revoke visas for foreign students linked to pro-Hamas activities, including involvement in campus protests and distributing materials such as flyers. It is part of President Donald Trump's executive order targeting antisemitism. However, the move has sparked criticism from some who argue it infringes on First Amendment rights, particularly regarding free speech.

What to Know

Nafsa, a network of universities and individuals involved in international education and exchanges, told the Financial Times that it had identified 500 visa revocations by gathering reports from higher education institutions throughout the U.S.

"This is uncharted territory on so many levels," Fanta Aw, chief executive of Nafsa told the FT. "It's at an unprecedented level and it's quite concerning because there is a lack of clarity which is creating anxiety."

DHS and the Department of State are rolling out a series of actions against university students nationwide. Many universities are unaware that their students have been targeted.

The actions affected students at various universities, spanning private institutions such as Harvard and Stanford, as well as public universities like the University of Texas at Austin and Minnesota State University-Mankato. Dozens of cases were also reported across the campuses of the University of California.

Fifty-three international students across four Texas universities have had their visas revoked, according to The Texas Tribune.

Nineteen students from the University of Texas at Dallas and 27 from the University of North Texas were removed from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

Additionally, three students at Texas Tech University and four at Texas Women's University had their visas revoked. The universities have not disclosed the identities of the students involved.

While visa revocations prevent individuals from re-entering the U.S, they do not immediately terminate a person's status. However, SEVIS removals have a more immediate impact, effectively ending a student's legal status and severely limiting their options.

New Mexico State University said that six of its foreign students had their visas revoked by the administration and could face deportation. The university said it remains unknown at this stage why their visas were revoked.

DHS said in a statement on Wednesday that it would begin screening international students' social media for "antisemitic" content. The statement referenced two executive orders from President Donald Trump as the basis for this action.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last month that the State Department, under his leadership, had revoked over 300 visas, the majority of which were student visas.

There has been a flurry of enforcement operations by federal immigration authorities, targeting pro-Palestine supporters.

Federal agents detained 30-year-old Rumeysa Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, on Tuesday after surveillance footage showed her walking down a street in Somerville, Massachusetts.

ICE agents detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia graduate student, at the university-owned apartment he shared with his pregnant wife.

What People Are Saying

Aw told the FT: "There will be a tsunami of legal cases coming."

DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said: "There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world's terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here."

"Sec. Noem has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-Semitic violence and terrorism – think again. You are not welcome here."

What Happens Next

The Trump administration is expected to revoke more student visas as part of its strategy to enact the president's deportation program.