The Trump administration revoked the visas of hundreds of international students, forcing many to leave the U.S. within days.
Some students learned of the cancellations through unexpected texts or emails, while others found out via the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
Universities in states such as California, Colorado, Ohio, and Florida reported incidents, though many withheld specifics to protect student privacy. Immigration experts describe the scope of the action as unprecedented.
“I’ve been doing this for 25 years and I’ve never seen 300 students lose their visas. It’s all political,” immigration attorney Len Saunders said.
Reports suggest that some visa cancellations may be connected to relatively minor incidents, such as traffic infractions or disputes between roommates, while others appear related to involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
At the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio took credit for revoking at least 300 visas, referring to the affected students as “lunatics” because of their activism.
“Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” he said.
The students involved are not being detained but have been ordered to leave the country within seven days.
This situation has triggered protests at institutions such as the University of Arizona and Tufts University, where Turkish student Rumeysa Öztürk was detained despite possessing a valid visa.
Colorado State University reported that six student visas were revoked, while the University of Massachusetts-Amherst stated that five of its students were affected.
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