Colleges across the United States recently revealed that the visas of some international students were canceled without prior notice, leading to increasing turmoil on campuses and anxiety among students, foreign media reported. Some students are currently in the process of filing lawsuits regarding this matter.
On the 8th (local time), according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others, major universities such as Columbia University, Harvard University, and the University of California, San Diego reported that the visas of some international students were unilaterally canceled without even being notified of the cancellation or the reasons by the government. The universities are said to be monitoring student situations on their own or determining this through the arrest of students by immigration authorities.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted last month that at least 300 student visas were canceled and said, "We will continue to track cases of visa requirement abuse." Education Secretary Linda McMahon also emphasized that universities should more thoroughly verify if students have anti-American tendencies or potential ties to terrorism before their entry. Currently, about 1.1 million people hold international student visas in the United States, and those whose visas are canceled become immediate targets for deportation.
The Trump administration has been tightening enforcement against international students since it began arresting some students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests. Although the number of canceled visas is still not high, the fear of being targeted for unpredictable reasons is spreading among international students. Immigration law attorney Elizabeth Goss told the WSJ, "Authorities are lowering the standards for visa cancellations increasingly," adding that "this approach is unprecedented."
There have also been cases of lawsuits. Xiaotian Liu, a doctoral student at Dartmouth College, filed a lawsuit against the government on the 7th, claiming his visa was canceled without reason. The Chinese national has been studying at Dartmouth since 2023 and asserts that he has no criminal record or history of participating in protests.
The American Council on Education (ACE), representing U.S. higher education institutions, sent an open letter to the government demanding clear explanations for the reasons behind visa cancellations. ACE stated that some students were being asked to leave voluntarily without being informed about the appeal process for their visa cancellations.
The universities where the visas of international students were canceled include the University of Kentucky, Minnesota State University, Mankato campus, and the University of Massachusetts, Boston campus, among others across the United States. The WSJ reported that "the targets of visa cancellations include undergraduates, graduate students, and those staying on work visas after graduation."
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is investigating 60 universities in the United States for 'concerns about anti-Semitism' related to pro-Palestinian protests. There are assumptions that international students participating in the protests are being targeted. Last month, Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent resident participating in the protests at Columbia University, was arrested by federal authorities.