Photo credit: www.cbsnews.com
Trump’s crackdown on foreign student visas
There has been a significant increase in the revocation of student visas among international students in the United States, with recent reports indicating that three Harvard University students and two alumni have lost their visa status. This information was confirmed by the university on Sunday, emphasizing the revocations were discovered during a routine review of records conducted by the Harvard International Office (HIO). The institution stated, “Over the past three days, the Harvard International Office (HIO) has learned that three students and two recent graduates have had their student visas revoked. The HIO notified the students of the revocations and referred them to legal assistance.” Nonetheless, no specific reasons were provided for these visa revocations.
Harvard has stated their unawareness of the underlying causes for the revocations, noting that similar occurrences have been reported by other educational institutions across the country. The university refrained from disclosing the names of the affected students in order to protect their privacy.
Nationwide visa revocations
The Trump administration has intensified enforcement actions leading to the deportation of international students in various universities nationwide. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently mentioned that approximately 300 student visas had been rescinded, alleging that many of these students were involved in campus protests. Harvard reported they had not received any formal notification regarding these visa revocations. Last week, five students from the University of Massachusetts Amherst faced similar visa issues, with the institution also claiming a lack of direct notification.
Incident involving a Tufts student
In a related incident, Rumeysa Ozturk, a graduate student at Tufts University, was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents near her home in Somerville. Her student visa was revoked by the State Department on the grounds that she was allegedly linked to activities supporting Hamas. Ozturk was co-author of a controversial op-ed published in March 2024, which called upon Tufts University to recognize the plight of Palestinians. Her legal representatives have denied the claims of her association with Hamas, and Tufts University President Sunil Kumar has asserted that the op-ed did not breach any university policies.
Following her detention, Ozturk was transported from Massachusetts through New Hampshire and Vermont before being sent to a detention facility in Louisiana, where a federal judge later mandated that her case be moved to Vermont.
Further Reporting
This trend of visa revocations has generated concern regarding the implications for international students in the U.S., many of whom contribute significantly to campus diversity and academic discourse. The situation underscores the growing tension between federal immigration policies and the rights of international students pursuing education in America.
Source
www.cbsnews.com