A graduate student from UCLA was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the San Ysidro border crossing amid an ongoing clampdown by the Trump administration on student visas. According to FOX LA, the student, whose name has yet to be released, was apprehended while trying to reenter the United States from Mexico.
The situation has sparked action on campus, where students have rallied to swiftly condemn the administration's immigration policies. "We stand up we will stand up for our fellow students and we will try and advocate because it's wrong and we can’t just sit by and let it happen," UCLA student Kat Edmiston told NBC Los Angeles during the protest. The detainment coincides with recent visa revocations affecting members of the broader university community. Earlier this month, six UCLA students and alumni had their visas pulled as outlined by the university's Chancellor.
UCLA has confirmed the student's detainment and expressed continued support for its international community. "UCLA has learned that an international graduate student was detained by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) while attempting to enter the United States from Mexico. The student remains in the custody of CBP, and we are actively working to learn more information," Vice Chancellor Mary Osako said in a statement obtained by KTLA. The institution reaffirmed its commitment to aiding its students, emphasizing their invaluable role at the university.
Further reporting by CBS News shed light on the impact of such immigration policies on the ground. UCLA faculty member Graeme Blair shared his concern, saying, "I have to talk to my students who are non-citizens every day, and they are terrified. I'm terrified for them because of the capricious nature of U.S. immigration policy right now. They don't know when they're going to be picked up in the middle of the night. They don't know when they're going to be forced from their classroom." Access to legal representation for the detained student has been hindered, according to Blair, with the attorney's requests to see their client reportedly being denied.
The broader context of these incidents links to a directive from the Trump administration cracking down on F-1 visa holders. In just the past month, the State Department has canceled more than three hundred visas, as highlighted by a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, citing a provision that permits revocation of visas if the foreign national's presence or activities may have "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences" for the United States. Reports from colleges in Orange County confirm several other international students have had their visas revoked, too. As the situation unfolds, the academic community across California stands on alert amid the uncertainty surrounding the fates of its international students.
