The US State Department has now formally cancelled 6,000 student visas. This move is just the latest in a long series of steps taken to dramatically increase anti-immigrant policies during the Trump administration. This move comes on the heels of a new wave of foreign students enrolling in American universities for the 2023-24 school year. International students keep coming. More than 1.1 million international students from more than 210 countries enrolled this year.
As we reported earlier this year, the Trump administration stopped scheduling new visa appointments for international students. This decision has led to an estimated “thousands” of rescinded visas since the beginning of January. As we reported back in June, the administration returned to scheduling visa appointments and introduced new heightened scrutiny standards for international students. Applicants are required to turn their social media accounts public. This new regulation gives agencies the ability to carefully scrutinize their activities in cyberspace for any indication of aggression towards the U.S. and its principles.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified to Congress on May 20 supporting these visa revocations. He hinted that the administration’s hard line approach to international students and immigration in general would proceed, with a focus on protecting national security at the forefront. Rubio announced, “We won’t stop until we are pulling the visas of all the people who are privileged to be here…They need to stop occupying our institutions of higher education.”
Of the 6,000 visas revoked, about 4,000 were because of violations of law by those who were visiting. An additional 200-300 visas were revoked on terrorism-related grounds under Section 3B of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The administration has faced criticism from Democrats, who argue that these efforts represent an attack on due process for international students.
The Open Doors organization released their strong enrollment figures for this academic year just last week. These figures underscore the essential contributions that international students make to American higher education. Recent visa revocations and increased scrutiny throw up even more daunting hurdles. Yet these students are immensely important to polishing the academic and cultural fabric of university campuses nationwide.
Rubio acknowledged that this effort is a work in progress. As an example, he said, “I don’t know the latest count, but we certainly still have more remaining to do. The Trump administration’s stringent immigration policies continue to shape the landscape for international students in the United States, raising concerns about their future and the implications for higher education.
