Trump administration cancels dozens of international student visas at University of California, Stanford
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- Dozens of international students attending several California universities have had their visas revoked by the Trump administration.
- The UC San Diego chancellor said students had their visas canceled “without warning” to university officials.
- UC officials did not release systemwide details about the revocations but some campuses disclosed numbers.
The Trump administration has canceled dozens of international student visas at California campuses, including UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine and Stanford, university leaders, students and faculty at campuses confirmed to The Times. Education officials over the weekend struggled to assess the extent of the revocations.
At UCLA, the revocations hit at least nine international students, faculty and student groups said Saturday. It’s unclear whether any students were detained by immigration authorities or why their visas were canceled. A UCLA spokesperson did not immediately confirm the number. The updated number came from student government, which has been in touch with the UCLA administration.
At UC San Diego, Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said in a campus message that five students had their visas revoked. He said the university received the notification “without warning.” Khosla said a sixth student was “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. “The students have been notified and we are working directly with them to provide support.”
Describing a “fluid situation,” a UC Berkeley spokesperson on Saturday said the school had identified at least six revoked visas. The spokesperson said four were for current undergraduate and graduate students. Two others were for 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.
The statement said UC is “aware that international students across several of our campuses have been impacted by recent SEVIS terminations,” referring to the U.S. government’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System database. “... We continue to monitor and assess its implications for the UC community and the people affected. 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.”
The U.S. has revoked roughly 300 visas of international students, many who have supported campus pro-Palestinian encampments and protests. At major California campuses including UCLA and USC, foreign students are on alert.
A spokesperson for USC, where the more than 17,000 international students make up the largest foreign student population in the state, declined to say whether students on campus were part of the visa sweep. “The university does not disclose information about the status of individual student visas,” a university statement said.
The actions are part of mass visa cancellations that appear to have unfolded at campuses across the country on Friday and caught school administrators by surprise. Other campuses to announce visa revocations include the University of Kentucky, University of Oregon and Ohio State University. While many actions by the Trump administration to cancel student visas and arrest students last month targeted pro-Palestinian activists, the reasons for these changes were unclear.
Spokespeople from the State Department did not reply Saturday to questions from The Times about California student visas.
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 reply to a question about the number of visas revoked in California or how many of the state’s campuses were affected.
Student government leaders at UCLA acknowledged campus concerns in a joint statement issued late Friday.
“We understand these are deeply uncertain times... To every international student reading this: You belong here. Your presence at UCLA makes this campus stronger, richer, and more beautiful. 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.
The administration accused the students of supporting Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization, and said they were threats to national security and U.S. foreign policy. The students argued their free speech rights in support of Palestinians were being trampled.
The Justice Department is investigating four California universities over possible ‘illegal DEI’ in admissions. The universities say they do not illegally consider race when accepting students.
The cases, some of which led to immigration arrests, are being fought in federal courts. Several students are being held at immigration detention facilities.
The administration has also started canceling visas for students who were not involved in pro-Palestinian protests but had other violations on their records. For example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said this week that the visa of a University of Minnesota student was revoked in March because of a 2023 drunk driving incident in which he pleaded guilty.
Speaking March 27 during a visit to Guyana, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. had at that point canceled 300 visas and would continue its evaluations.
“We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” Rubio said, referring to student protesters. “I hope at some point we run out because we have gotten rid of all of them, but we’re looking every day for these lunatics that are tearing things up.”
Rubio said the government canceled “primarily student visas” and “some visitors visas.” The group included cases “unrelated to any protests” that have to do with “potential criminal activity.”
At many campuses in the U.S., including at UC San Diego and Stanford, the Trump administration did not communicate the visa changes to universities. Instead, the cancellations were discovered while university officials checked SEVIS, a student database under the Department of Homeland Security that lists international student statuses.
International students typically have two certifications that allow them to come to the U.S. and study. Student visas give individuals permission to enter the U.S. while “student status” confirms that a person is enrolled in classes and abiding by other restrictions, such as limitations on employment. Visas are granted and revoked by the Department of State. Student status is maintained in SEVIS.
Under previous administrations, students who had entry visas canceled were typically allowed to legally stay in the U.S. to study. If they left the country and wanted to return, they would have to renew their visas. The current actions by the Trump administration appear to be changing both visa and student status.
Schools with large international populations usually have campus centers devoted to aiding students and professors with visas, housing and other areas, including maintaining SEVIS.
“Campus officials (and the University of California) are committed to doing what they can to support all members of our community as they exercise their rights under the law,” said a statement from UC Berkeley. “In doing so, the university will continue to follow all applicable state and federal laws.”
A UC Davis statement added that “we are committed to upholding the law, and we expect local, state and federal agencies to do the same. At the same time, we will continue to advocate at every level of government for the rights and safety of all our community members.”
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