US immigration officials have recently revoked a substantial number of student visas for international students at prestigious institutions like Harvard, Tufts, and Stanford, raising concerns among university administrators. These cancellations, often communicated to the universities only after updates to federal immigration databases, have affected both current students and recent graduates, as highlighted in various college statements. This trend is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to intensify scrutiny of international students, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio noting the revocation of over 300 visas last month. Shev Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, remarked on the ongoing efforts to understand the situation, stating that they are working to track and comprehend the full extent of the issue. A notable case involves Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish PhD candidate at Tufts University, who was detained by federal agents in her neighborhood last month. Stanford reported that six of its students had their visas revoked and has formed a working group to address immigration issues, emphasizing its policy of not disclosing student or staff records to immigration authorities unless legally required.
Harvard also reported that three current students and two recent graduates had their visas terminated. Additional cancellations have been reported from Dartmouth College, Minnesota State University, Arizona State University, and the University of Oregon, as noted by the Associated Press. State Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have not responded to inquiries regarding this matter.The State Department has historically possessed the power to revoke visas; however, Dalal-Dheini noted that the recent surge in cancellations seems to be more extensive and systematically organized compared to previous enforcement measures. On April 5, visa cancellations were highlighted as a significant concern by anti-Trump demonstrators at protests across numerous cities in the United States. Some of the event organizers cited the situations of Ozturk and Khalil as representative examples of what they perceive as an assault on international students and a threat to freedom of expression within academic institutions.
