In a recent immigration crackdown that has sent shockwaves through university campuses, dozens of international students across North Texas have had their student visas revoked, leaving some institutions scrambling to respond.
Among the affected schools are the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), the University of North Texas (UNT), Texas A&M, UT Austin, and UT San Antonio. School officials confirmed that, collectively, at least 65 students have had their visas abruptly terminated in the past few weeks, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
The mass revocations appear to be tied to scrutiny by the Department of State, which has vowed to revoke visas for anyone perceived as a “threat” to America’s national interests or those who have broken the law.
“We don’t want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or the public safety,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a recent interview on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan. “It’s that simple, especially people that are here as guests. That is what a visa is.”
He added that “a visa is a gift” and “no one is entitled to a visa,” as The Dallas Express previously reported.
The Department of Homeland Security announced on April 9 that it will begin screening international students’ social media for anti-Semitic content, citing two executive orders from President Donald Trump aimed at addressing what the White House calls a rise in anti-Semitism tied to campus pro-Palestine protests.
UTD was the center of national attention last spring when student activists organized a campus encampment in solidarity with Palestine. The incident led to 21 arrests and disciplinary actions from the school for nine students. University officials have not publicly said whether the students whose visas were revoked had participated in the protest. As of April 9, nineteen students from UTD have had their visas revoked, per Fox 4.
Similar situations have impacted UNT, which confirmed 27 students lost their visas, and Texas A&M, where 15 were affected. UT San Antonio also reported four cases of revocations — two current and two former students, according to Fox 4.
As of press time, other Texas colleges, including SMU, TCU, and UT Arlington, have not yet responded for comment on whether they’ve experienced any similar visa revocations.
For now, many of the affected students are left with more questions than answers, reportedly unsure whether they can finish their degrees or even find out why their immigration status was revoked.