SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — In a sweeping and largely unexplained crackdown, the Trump administration has revoked student visas for hundreds of international students across the United States, alarming university officials and civil liberties advocates who call the move politically motivated and legally murky.
Universities in California — particularly Stanford, UCLA, and the University of California system — have been hit especially hard. According to statements from multiple institutions, more than three dozen student and alumni visas have been terminated without prior notice or explanation. The affected students hail from top-tier institutions and include participants in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which allows international graduates to gain work experience in the U.S.
Stanford University reported that four students and two alumni lost their visas, while UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk confirmed 12 total visa terminations — six for current students and six for recent graduates. The University of California campuses in Berkeley, San Diego, Davis, and Irvine also reported dozens of terminations. In most cases, students learned of the revocations only during routine audits or database checks.
“The University learned of the revocations during a routine check of the SEVIS database,” Stanford said in a statement, referring to the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. Many universities discovered the revocations without any notification from the Department of Homeland Security or the State Department, leading to confusion and panic among international students.
“There’s no due process, there’s no hearing, it just happens,” immigration attorney Brian Green told Colorado Public Radio.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in March that the administration had revoked more than 300 student visas, citing links to protests and “potential criminal activity.” However, university officials say federal agencies have yet to provide concrete justifications in the majority of cases.
The visa cancellations have extended far beyond California. Students from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Michigan, Texas A&M, Arizona State, and North Carolina State University have also been affected. Some students have been detained or deported, including one at the U.S.–Mexico border and another at Tufts University before the school even knew of the revocation.
According to UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, the federal government has provided no rationale for terminating five students’ F-1 visas. “The students have been notified, and we are working directly with them to provide support,” Khosla said.
Several students targeted in the visa crackdown had participated in pro-Palestinian protests — a political flashpoint since the Israel-Hamas conflict reignited in late 2023. President Trump, who returned to office in January, signed an executive order earlier this year calling for the removal of noncitizens who “violate our laws” and for action against what he called “pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation” on college campuses.
Critics, however, argue the administration is weaponizing immigration law to suppress student activism and chill dissent. “It is unacceptable — and deeply un-American — for students to be punished for standing up for human rights,” said Hussam Ayloush, CEO of the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Universities have pledged to support their students but remain limited in their ability to intervene. “These are troubling times, and this situation is unlike any we have navigated before,” University of Minnesota President Edward Inch wrote in a letter to his campus.
As the Trump administration continues to enforce its executive order, advocacy groups and university leaders, including the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, are demanding answers from the federal government. “The universities can’t seem to find anything that seems to be related to Gaza or social media posts or protests,” said Bernie Burrola, a vice president at the association.
In the meantime, international students face sudden deportation, revoked legal status, and fractured academic and professional futures — with little to no warning.
