At California campuses, including UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, and Stanford, the Trump administration has revoked dozens of international student visas, informing campus leaders, students, and faculty. According to a statement released by faculty and student organizations, the revocations affected at least nine international students at UCLA. It is not clear why visas were revoked or whether any students were detained by immigration authorities. At UC San Diego, Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said in a campus message that five students had their visas revoked. He stated that the university was informed “without notice.” A sixth-grade student was, according to Khosla, “detained at the border, denied entry, and deported to their home country.” “The federal government has not explained the reasons behind these terminations,” Khosla wrote. We are working directly with the students to provide support, and the students have been informed. A spokesperson for UC Berkeley stated on Saturday that the school had identified at least six revoked visas, describing the situation as “fluid.” The spokesperson said four were for current undergraduate and graduate students. Two more were targeted at recent graduates. At UC Davis, officials said visas for seven students and five recent graduates were terminated.
This number may change. Federal agents have not entered our campus, and they have not placed any member of our community in custody,” a university statement said on Saturday.
A UC official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly confirmed that the visa actions also affected UC Irvine. Campus spokespeople did not respond to a request for more details.
At Stanford, officials said four students and two people who recently graduated had their visas revoked. A university statement did not identify the reasons the students lost their visas or whether they faced arrests.
A University of California statement said that “several” campuses had students who lost their visa status but did not offer more information.
In reference to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System database maintained by the United States government, the statement stated that UC is “aware that international students across several of our campuses have been impacted by recent SEVIS terminations.” “…
“We continue to monitor and evaluate its effects on the affected individuals and the UC community. We are committed to doing what we can to support all members of our community as they exercise their rights under the law. In doing that, the university will continue to follow all applicable state and federal laws.”
A spokesperson for USC would not say whether students on campus were swept up in the visa sweep. USC has more than 17,000 international students, making it the state’s largest foreign student population. A university statement stated, “The university does not disclose information about the status of individual student visas.” The actions are part of mass visa cancellations that appear to have unfolded at campuses across the country. Other campuses to announce visa revocations include the University of Kentucky, the University of Oregon and Ohio State University.
Although pro-Palestinian activists were the target of many of the Trump administration’s recent actions, including the cancellation of student visas and the arrest of students, the reasons for these changes were not clear. Asked whether the visa cancellations had to do with students who protested or other matters, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in an email, “we’d have to look on a case by case basis.” She did not respond when asked how many visas were revoked in California or how many campuses were affected. UCLA’s student government leaders issued a joint statement late on Friday acknowledging campus concerns. “We understand these are deeply uncertain times… Every international student who reads this should know that they belong here. Your presence at UCLA strengthens, enriches, and enhances the beauty of this campus. Our offices will continue to stand, speak, and advocate for you — loudly and unapologetically,” said the statement from Undergraduate Student Assn. Council President Adam Tfayli and International Student Representative Syed Tamim Ahmad.
The visa revocations at UC San Diego involved students who were not involved in pro-Palestinian protests, said the UC official.
Last month, the Trump administration began revoking student visas at high-profile campuses, including Columbia, Cornell, George Washington, Tufts , and other universities where it alleged that the students affected were antisemitic and aligned with terrorists because of their pro-Palestinian writings or protests.
