Over a 1,000 international students have seen their legal status in the United States revoked in a sweeping move that has triggered confusion, fear, and legal action. Since late March, students enrolled at over 130 universities — including Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Maryland — have found themselves abruptly stripped of their visa rights, often without any clear explanation.
The cancellations have emerged as part of a broader immigration clampdown under the Trump administration, leaving institutions scrambling to support affected students and seek answers from federal authorities. In many cases, the students were not notified directly. Instead, universities discovered the terminations by checking the Department of Homeland Security’s database, known as the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
In response, several lawsuits have been filed against the Department of Homeland Security, with students arguing that their visas were revoked unlawfully and without due process. A prominent case in New Hampshire saw a judge grant temporary protection to a Chinese computer science student at Dartmouth College after his status was revoked without warning. Similar legal challenges have been filed in Georgia and California, with lawyers arguing that these actions risk detention, deportation, and irreversible academic disruption.
The lack of transparency surrounding the revocations has only heightened concern. Universities say they have not been provided with clear reasons for the changes. In a statement, Middle Tennessee State University said it had no details on why six of its international students lost their visas. At the University of Oregon, four students had their visa status revoked over unspecified criminal charges — charges that were not communicated to the university.
While some cases may involve national security concerns, such as the high-profile detention of Columbia graduate and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, many others appear to be linked to minor or unclear infractions. Legal experts have criticised the move as a politically driven strategy to discourage international engagement.
At the University of California, Los Angeles, twelve students were affected. Chancellor Julio Frenk said the decisions were attributed to violations of visa terms, though no details were offered. Institutions across 40 states have reported similar cases, but few say they were informed in advance or provided with justification.
The American Civil Liberties Union has argued that the pattern points to a wider policy of systematically terminating student statuses. A lawsuit filed in Georgia currently represents 133 foreign nationals, including students from India, China, Colombia, Mexico, and Japan. The legal filing claims students were removed from SEVIS without proper review, and alleges that the government is acting without transparency or fairness.
