President Donald Trump’s administration has dramatically escalated its target on international students. What was once a golden ticket to academic opportunity in the United States is rapidly turning into an exit pass, as hundreds of student and scholar visas are being revoked without prior notice, triggering arrests, detentions, and deportations.
International students primarily enter the US on F-1, M-1, or J-1 visas, each tailored to academic or cultural exchange programs. Institutions hosting these students must be certified through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), overseen by ICE. That certification is now under threat for schools like Harvard, with the Trump administration demanding extensive student records and threatening decertification.
J-1 visa holders, often researchers or medical professionals, are also increasingly affected. While F-1 and J-1 visas once offered stability, they are now more vulnerable than ever to revocation, often with little explanation or recourse.
Hundreds of foreign students have seen their legal status upended as their visas are revoked, sometimes after nothing more than a protest or traffic stop. In some cases, like that of Tufts doctoral candidate Rümeysa Öztürk, students were handcuffed without being informed that their visa was voided.
Öztürk, who supported Palestinian rights, was accused of supporting Hamas, though no charges have been filed. Others, including legal permanent residents at Columbia University, now face deportation over their activism.
Lawyers argue many students are being targeted simply for expressing pro-Palestinian views, not for any actual wrongdoing. A lawsuit filed in Georgia says over 100 international students have had their visas canceled without due process.
Once the State Department revokes a visa, ICE quickly follows with removal orders. Students are often instructed via email to “self-deport” within seven days or face arrest. Notices sometimes even reach immigration attorneys by mistake, showcasing a system both aggressive, disorganized, and flat out unfair.
Previously, it was up to universities to initiate visa status changes in SEVIS, the database that tracks foreign students. But now, ICE has taken control, revoking statuses and deporting students directly.
Even students who comply with the law are not safe. A nephrologist and associate professor at Brown University, Dr. Rasha Alawieh, was deported after returning from her father’s funeral in Iran, accused of attending an event tied to Hezbollah.