The Trump administration has revoked the visas of hundreds of international students, forcing many to leave the United States in a matter of days.
Some students were notified through unexpected text messages or emails, while others discovered their visa cancellations through the federal Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
Universities in states such as California, Colorado, Ohio, and Florida have reported instances of these cancellations, though many institutions have refrained from sharing specific details due to privacy concerns.
Immigration experts have described the scale of the cancellations as unprecedented.
Len Saunders, an immigration attorney with 25 years of experience, commented, “I’ve never seen 300 students lose their visas like this. It seems to be driven by political motives.”
Some of the cancellations appear to be linked to minor infractions, such as traffic violations or roommate disputes, while others may be related to participation in pro-Palestinian protests.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly taken responsibility for revoking at least 300 visas, calling the students “lunatics” due to their activism.
“Whenever I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” Rubio said.
While the affected students are not being detained, they have been instructed to leave the country within seven days.
This has led to protests, including at the University of Arizona and Tufts University, where Turkish student Rumeysa Öztürk was detained despite holding a valid visa.
Colorado State University confirmed that six students had their visas revoked, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst reported five cases.
“We are working closely with these students to connect them with the appropriate legal resources,” said Kathleen Fairfax of CSU.
Chancellor Javier Reyes of UMass, a former international student himself, expressed strong support for the affected students and urged others to verify their visa status.
Education organizations are calling for clarity and protections for international students.
In a joint letter to federal officials, the American Council on Education and other groups said, “These recent actions have created significant uncertainty for international students.”
Professor Robert Cohen of New York University condemned the visa revocations, saying, “This speaks to the broader issue that Donald Trump and his supporters don’t truly believe in free speech.”
