Trump's visa crackdown hits Indiana University
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Several of Indiana University's international students have had their visas revoked amid a wave of surprise revocations sweeping across campuses nationwide.
The big picture: The Trump administration has stripped scores of students' visas without explanation and sidestepped the regulations governing visa status, attorneys told Axios.
- The actions are taking place across the country and at schools of all sizes, from Harvard and Dartmouth to Central Michigan to Virginia Tech.
Driving the news: IU Bloomington provost Rahul Shrivastav said during a faculty council meeting last week that "a small number, relative to some other institutions," of international students had had their visas revoked. The university is helping each student "to the extent we can," he said.
- Shrivastav did not provide more details about the students affected during last week's meeting, and spokespeople for IU did not respond yesterday to Axios Indy's questions.
Catch up quick: Schools across the country were surprised to learn that some students had had their visas revoked abruptly and without explanation. University officials usually start the revocation process if they suspect a student has violated the terms of their visa.
- This comes weeks after the Trump administration made international headlines for detaining Columbia University graduates and Tufts University student Rumeysa Öztürk over pro-Palestinian activism.
How it works: International applicants accepted into U.S. colleges must obtain a visa and follow strict rules to study here, says Mona Zafar Khan, a Boston-area immigration attorney.
- Their visas can be revoked if they violate those rules — working off campus without permission or failing to maintain a full class load — or if they're charged with a crime.
Yes, but: Even students whose visas are revoked can get them reinstated as long as five months later if they meet certain requirements, Khan says.
- That's why a visa revocation rarely means their visa status in the online database overseen by the State Department, known as SEVIS, is terminated.
In these recent cases, the Department of Homeland Security terminated the visa statuses in SEVIS.
- DHS can make those decisions in limited circumstances, like if there's a national security, diplomatic or public safety concern.
What they're saying: "It is an ongoing process," Shrivastav said during last week's meeting. "It'll probably change by the end of the day or tomorrow, and it is something we have to address on a case-by-case basis."
Zoom out: If the widespread student visa revocations continue, universities that rely on high tuition fees from international students could suffer financially.
- An estimated 1 million international students generate more than $40 billion for American higher education each year, according to a 2024 article by The World.
- About 6,000 of the 40,000 students on IU's Bloomington campus are international.
The bottom line: The wave of revocations is the latest event upending American colleges and, potentially, the nation's future talent pipeline.