A crackdown on foreign students by the Trump administration is causing concern among colleges, which argue that new tactics and vague justifications are being used to expel some students from the United States.
College officials express worry that the new measures may dissuade international students from pursuing education in the U.S. Students who have had their entry visas revoked by the Department of Homeland Security are being ordered to leave the country immediately, deviating from the previous practice that often allowed them to remain and complete their studies.
Some students have been singled out due to pro-Palestinian activism, criminal offenses, or minor traffic violations, while others are unclear about how they violated government rules. At Minnesota State University in Mankato, President Edward Inch informed the campus that the visas of five international students were rescinded without clear reasons. This came to light when university officials conducted a status check following the detention of a Turkish student at the University of Minnesota due to a DUI conviction, according to the State Department.
President Donald Trump had previously vowed during his campaign to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, leading to the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student and Palestinian activist. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that students are being targeted for protest involvement and “potential criminal activity.”
In recent weeks, the government has seemingly expanded its crackdown, with colleges across the U.S. discovering international students stripped of their visas and, in many instances, their legal residency, including institutions such as Arizona State University, Cornell University, and the University of Colorado.
While some affected students, such as those at Tufts University and the University of Alabama, have opted to leave voluntarily, others have been detained by immigration authorities. In certain cases, universities remain unaware of changes in students’ legal statuses until after their detention.
A new enforcement wave has school officials reporting that the federal government is bypassing colleges, erasing foreign students’ records unilaterally. Miriam Feldblum, President and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, noted that the rapid nature of these orders for students to leave the country is unprecedented.
Previously, international students with revoked entry visas were typically allowed to retain their legal residency status to continue studying, needing to renew visas only upon re-entry to the U.S. after leaving. Presently, an increasing number face termination of legal status, risking arrest.
Two Saudi Arabian students at North Carolina State University left the U.S. after learning their student status was terminated. The university is attempting to accommodate their completion of studies from abroad. Philip Vasto, a roommate of one student, described him as apolitical and uninvolved in protests.
At the University of Texas at Austin, a federal database check revealed legal status termination for two students, one from India and one from Lebanon, due to criminal records checks. Each was utilizing a post-coursework professional experience option, employed full-time without apparent requirement breaches.
The State Department has invoked an obscure law for visa revocations involving foreign policy consequences, a move linked to Trump’s January order on campus antisemitism. However, recent measures have also targeted students for minor infractions, which Feldblum noted would not usually attract scrutiny.
Michelle Mittelstadt from the Migration Policy Institute suggested these actions may challenge students’ First Amendment rights as cases evolve in court. Meanwhile, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities seeks dialogue with the State Department, noting officials’ concerns over repercussions on international exchange programs.
NAFSA’s CEO, Fanta Aw, warned against assuming the U.S. will remain the top choice for global talent given international students’ other options. The narrative first appeared on Fortune.com.
