Over 1,000 international students in the US lost visas or status

Over 1,000 international students in the US lost visas or status

The Trump administration has revoked hundreds of student visas in nearly every U.S. state this year, part of a sweeping immigration campaign. However, hardly any university has a clear explanation for these measures.

Scope of visa revocations

More than 1,000 international students and graduates at over 130 schools in the U.S. have had their visas or Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) status revoked, according to reports from universities and their representatives. Colleges in 40 states have confirmed to CNN that their students' visas have been revoked.

Unexplained reasons for visa status changes

At Middle Tennessee State University, six students from Asia, Europe and the Middle East were affected by the visa revocations. University spokesman Jimmy Hart said: "The university does not know the specific reasons for the visa status changes, only that they are maintained in the federal database." Many universities found out about visa revocations through their own checks in the system. Few know why their students' visa or SEVIS accounts were terminated.

Identity and legal action of the affected students

A University of Oregon spokesman, Eric Howald, reported that "in recent weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security revoked the visa status of four international students at the UO based on unspecified criminal charges. The university was not informed in advance and has not received details of the criminal charges." It is unclear whether all affected students will have to leave the country immediately or whether they will be able to continue their education.

Targeted measures against international students

International students, including at prestigious American universities, have been targeted as part of the Trump administration's broader immigration policies. Cases vary from high-profile allegations related to alleged support for terrorist organizations to less serious offenses such as long-standing misdemeanors. However, federal officials have not specified the reasons for many of the visa revocations. Interior Secretary Marco Rubio stressed that some behaviors, including participation in protests, will not be tolerated. "You are here to learn. You are not supposed to lead activist movements that disrupt our universities," Rubio said.

Lawsuit against the government

While many students have not received a clear response from the White House or DHS regarding their status changes, a new federal lawsuit has been filed against the Trump administration to stop student visa revocations and restore those already revoked. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for North Georgia in Atlanta, currently involves 133 foreign nationals, including students from India, China, Colombia, Mexico and Japan. The affected students are not named in the lawsuit, but only by “pseudonyms for fear of retaliation by the defendants.”

Legal allegations and their consequences

The lawsuit alleges that ICE abruptly and unlawfully "revoked the students' legal statuses, depriving them of their ability to continue their studies and maintain employment in the United States and placing them at risk of arrest, detention and deportation." The White House and DHS did not respond to CNN's request for comment. According to the lawsuit, these students' statuses were terminated by deletion from the SEVIS database, which is used by the Department of Homeland Security to manage information about international students and their status in the country.

Marco Rubio emphasized again that remaining in the USA is tied to compliance with certain rules of conduct. “It is madness to allow this to continue,” he said. In March, it was reported that over 300 visas, mostly student visas and some visitor visas, were revoked. This policy has led to some of the most high-profile deportation cases of foreign nationals accused of supporting terrorist organizations.

These developments raise questions about the future status and opportunities of international students in the United States. CNN's Rafael Romo, Arriyanna Brookins, Javon Huynh, Jillian Sykes, Julianna Bragg, Maria Aguilar Prieto and Yash Roy contributed to this report.