Bay Area students lose visas amid immigration crackdown
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Federal immigration authorities have recently revoked the visas of dozens of international students and at least four recent graduates from Bay Area universities amid a wave of surprise revocations sweeping across campuses nationwide.
The big picture: The Trump administration has moved beyond penalizing international students over pro-Palestinian activism and has offered no explanation on the visa revocations, experts told Axios.
State of play: The actions are taking place at schools of all sizes. The University of California Berkeley, Stanford, San Francisco State and California State University East Bay are among the schools that have confirmed to Axios student visa revocations.
Zoom in: SFSU President Lynn Mahoney said in an email last week that one international student and four recent graduates have had their visas revoked.
- The university is working with the Division of International Education to assist the student in finding an "alternative way to complete their degree," she said.
- They are also working on contacting students whose visa status has changed, offering virtual and in-person support services and free legal immigration help.
Between the lines: CSU East Bay has had four students affected as of Tuesday, university spokesperson Kimberly Hawkins told Axios.
- Stanford has reported six students and two recent graduates and will continue to monitor but will not be providing additional updates on the number of students affected, according to a recent statement.
- As of the end of last week, a total of 23 students have had their visas revoked at UC Berkeley, according to university spokesperson Janet Gilmore.
What they're saying:"These actions create an uncertain and challenging environment for our campus community," UC Berkeley chancellor Rich Lyons and provost Benjamin Hermalin wrote in an April 7 address to students.
Catch up quick: Schools across the country were surprised to learn of the federal action 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 immigration attorney Mona Zafar Khan.
- 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.
What we're watching: If the widespread 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.
The bottom line: The wave of revocations is the latest event upending U.S. colleges and, potentially, the nation's future talent pipeline.