1 week Ago
Three Harvard students and two recent graduates have lost their F-1 student visas, as the Trump administration escalates its response to pro-Palestine activism among international students. The visa revocations come amid a broader federal crackdown that, in some cases, targets students simply for liking or sharing protest-related content on social media. According to The Harvard Crimson, the university discovered the cancellations during a routine review of student records.
In an internal email, the Harvard International Office stated, “We are not aware of the details of the revocations or the reasons for them,” but added, “we understand that comparable numbers of students and scholars in institutions across the country have experienced similar status changes in roughly the same timeframe.” Once revoked, F-1 visa holders lose their legal status and face potential deportation. Continuing to remain in the U.
S. without valid status can result in fines, detention, or forced removal. Stanford University confirmed that two recent graduates and four students also had their visas revoked.
Administrators learned of the revocations through SEVIS, the federal database used to monitor nonimmigrant students. Stanford said it promptly informed the students and gave them access to external legal counsel. The university declined to release further details, citing privacy.
At the University of California, seven current students and five alumni lost their F-1 status, with Chancellor Gary S. May stating that no federal agents had entered the campus or detained anyone. Five international students from the University of Massachusetts Amherst were similarly affected, having their visas cancelled and student status terminated.
The sweeping revocations follow a public announcement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who claimed that over 300 international students have had their visas revoked “for supporting Hamas or other designated terrorist organisations.” He added, “Maybe more; it might be more than 300 at this point. We do it every day.
Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa.” Rubio also unveiled “Catch and Revoke,” an AI-powered app developed to track and cancel the visas of international students allegedly linked to terrorism. Reports now suggest that U.
S. immigration authorities will more closely monitor social media activity across F, M, and J visa categories. Students flagged for supporting banned groups may be denied entry or face removal from the country.
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