The Trump administration has initiated a broad effort to revoke visas of international students, with more than 50 students at Arizona State University currently facing potential deportation. According to Fox 10 Phoenix, the visa revocations appear to focus on certain regions and affiliations, affecting students primarily from Middle Eastern and Muslim-majority countries, as well as China and India.
John Washington, a writer for Arizona Luminaria, pointed out in an interview that, "We do know that at least three people from ASU were put into immigration detention." As the university works to assist those affected, the futures of the impacted students remain uncertain, in a statement obatained by Fox 10 Phoenix.
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, has been quoted by BBC News as saying the revocations are for those who have engaged in activities that "run counter" to US interests. However, what constitutes a "counter" activity seems broad enough to potentially strip away an individual's US stay over a speeding ticket.
From coast to coast, universities report visa cancellations, with Inside Higher Ed stating that over 80 institutions are impacted, disrupting the lives of students who had once seen the U.S. as a place for higher learning and opportunity. Universities affected range from large public entities like the University of Florida to Ivy League schools such as Harvard and Yale.
The actions have not gone uncontested, as civil rights groups and impacted individuals are actively pushing back. The ACLU boldly stated, "No president should be allowed to set an ideological litmus test and exclude or remove people from our country who they disagree with," as referenced in the BBC News report. Students have also taken legal action in an effort to defend their rights and academic opportunities—principles they assumed were guaranteed when they chose to pursue education in the United States. Among them is Xiaotian Liu, a 26-year-old doctoral candidate at Dartmouth College, who has entered the legal fray, claiming his visa was revoked without adequate notice or justification.
The impact of this crackdown will extend beyond the classroom, influencing global perceptions of the U.S. educational system and the country's policy on international students. With many students already detained and facing the risk of deportation, the future of the U.S. as a destination for international education remains uncertain.
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