The administration of US President Donald Trump has revoked over 6,000 student visas, citing visa overstays, criminal offences, and alleged support for terrorism. The move is part of the administration’s wider immigration enforcement strategy, which has placed student visa holders under increased scrutiny.
According to a State Department official, the vast majority of cancellations — nearly 4,000 — were due to violations of US laws, including assault, driving under the influence, and burglary.
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A smaller number, estimated between 200 and 300 visas, were revoked on the grounds of links to terrorism, based on provisions under the US State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual. The rule identifies individuals as ineligible for visas if they are found to be engaged in or supporting terrorist activities. However, the official did not specify which organisations the students were allegedly linked to or what evidence supported the allegations.
The visa revocations come amid rising tensions between the Trump administration and several major US universities. President Trump has criticised institutions such as Harvard for allowing campus protests in support of Palestinian rights during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In response to these demonstrations, the administration has reportedly taken measures such as freezing funds and threatening to revoke universities’ tax-exempt status. The crackdown has led some European countries to step in with increased research funding aimed at attracting international talent.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that visa actions have targeted individuals whose activities are considered inconsistent with US foreign policy objectives. This includes students and green card holders whose public criticism of US allies or involvement in political activism is viewed by the administration as hostile or threatening.
In one case, a Turkish student at Tufts University spent more than six weeks in a Louisiana immigration detention centre after co-authoring an article critical of her university’s position on the Gaza war. She was released on bail after a federal court ruling.
Civil liberties groups and Trump’s critics have raised concerns that these visa revocations may infringe on free speech protections under the First Amendment of the US Constitution, especially in cases where students have been penalised for expressing dissenting political views.
