The US government has sparked fear among international students after revoking visas of hundreds of the students.
According to BBC, in the latest crackdown by the US President Donald Trump administration on the international students, the authorities have not only revoked over 300 students visas but have also detained roughly dozens without warning or opportunity for appeal.
Videos of the plainclothes officers arresting and handcuffing students near their homes have gone viral and triggered shockwaves and concerns in the international student community.
As per a tracker by Inside Higher Ed, more than 20 universities have reportedly revoked student visas.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in March 2025 confirmed that at least 300 visas have been revoked of the students who were involved in activities that “run counter” to national interests of the country.
Why are international student visas being revoked?
In a transcript released by the US State Department, Rubio said that student visas are granted for studying, and they can be revoked if they are found to be involved in “destabilising” acts.
He told reporters that the visas of the students, which “might be more” than 300, have been revoked because they were predominantly involved in pro-Palestinian protests, while some of the foreigners have prior criminal charges.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stated, “No president should be allowed to set an ideological litmus test and exclude or remove people from our country who they disagree with.”
Universities affected in latest international students crackdown
Inside Higher Ed tracker has identified that more than 80 colleges and universities were affected by the changes in the legal status of the international students by the State Department.
The list mostly comprises public universities that have tens of thousands of international students, including Texas A&M University, University of Oregon, University of Florida, Arizona State University, University of Colorado, and University of California, Berkeley.
It also includes a smaller number of private institutions like Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University and Stanford University.
Notably, currently there are an estimated 1.1 million international student visa holders in the US.
