In a move that has sent shockwaves through the Florida International University (FIU) community, the Trump administration has rescinded the F-1 visa status of 18 students, as reported by the Miami New Times. Between March 25 and last Thursday, these international students found themselves suddenly stripped of their authorization to live and study in the United States, leaving 11 current students and seven recent graduates on Optional Practical Training (OPT) in a precarious position.
While FIU officials refrained from providing specifics, immigration attorney Ashwin Sharma clarified to the Miami New Times an important distinction, explaining that "for students already in the U.S., maintaining F-1 status — by following rules like enrolling full-time and maintaining a specified GPA — is far more important than the visa itself." Despite this, the revocations have caused alarm and uncertainty for those affected.
The actions taken against these 18 individuals appear to be part of a wider trend, as pointed out by Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition in a statement to NBC Miami. He criticized the administration's tactics, saying, "It's part of a larger pattern where hundreds of students are having their student visas revoked—some because of, you know, petty things like a traffic infraction, but most of the time because of an assault on their First Amendment rights."
The revocations come despite those students apparently having met the criteria necessary to obtain and, up until recently, maintain their visa status. Kennedy went on to express his concern to NBC Miami, stating, "It's just a disgrace that these students are having to suddenly disrupt their university studies, their university careers, cut short because of this." Meanwhile, FIU and other Florida universities have signed cooperation agreements with ICE to use campus police for immigration enforcement, further complicating matters for international students in the state.
