A doctoral student specializing in artificial intelligence in California experienced the termination of their SEVIS record, which serves as the digital proof of their valid student visa, thereby jeopardizing their immigration status.
The student, who prefers to remain anonymous due to fear of repercussions, shared with TechCrunch that they were informed by the international student center of their college about being flagged during a criminal records check. The student, who has been residing and studying in the United States for nearly a decade since their undergraduate years, asserts they have no criminal record.
The student speculates that the issue may relate to an encounter with the police several years ago, before entering graduate school. The student was engaged in research within the AI field and had plans to continue their research post-graduation.
In recent months, over a thousand international students in the United States have faced challenges to their visa statuses by the State Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This action is part of an intensive crackdown initiated by the Trump administration. Many colleges are not being directly informed by relevant federal agencies, leaving students with minimal notice or recourse.
Yisong Yue, a machine learning professor at Caltech, stated to TechCrunch that the U.S. government’s stringent policies on student visas are detrimental to the talent pipeline. Yue explained that the cumulative impact of these actions is making the U.S. a significantly less attractive destination for many skilled researchers. He added that research projects, which are highly specialized, can experience setbacks of months or years if a doctoral student is removed mid-project. Furthermore, there is widespread concern among students on visas.
The crackdown has affected numerous educational institutions. Reports indicate that students from Ivy League universities, large public colleges, and small liberal arts colleges have encountered visa suspensions. The government has accused some students of affiliations with Palestinian militant groups or engaging in antisemitic activities, while others have been targeted for minor legal infractions like speeding tickets.
Some visa revocations appear to be administrative errors. For instance, Suguru Onda, a computer science doctoral candidate at Brigham Young University, had their student visa reinstated without clarification after an immigration attorney filed a lawsuit. The attorney, Adam Crayk, reported that AI is being used for screening visa holders without human verification, resulting in mistakes.
Recently, a judge in Georgia issued a temporary restraining order affecting approximately 100 international students whose visas were revoked, instructing the government to reinstate their legal status. However, this ruling only pertains to a small subset of at-risk students and could face future challenges.
Yue highlighted the role of international students in significant AI advancements. Ashish Vaswani, who moved to the U.S. in the early 2000s to study computer science, co-created the transformer AI model architecture, integral to chatbots like ChatGPT. Wojciech Zaremba, a co-founder of OpenAI, earned his doctorate in AI from NYU on a student visa.
A recent analysis by the nonprofit educational organization NAFSA revealed that international students contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2023-2024 academic year, supporting more than 378,000 jobs.
Yue mentioned having multiple discussions with senior AI researchers concerned about their continued stay in the United States. These researchers span prestigious universities and companies such as OpenAI and Google. Yue reiterated that the government’s ongoing actions are diminishing the attractiveness of the U.S. as a destination for talented researchers.
