Four students at San Diego State University had their F-1 visas revoked as of Thursday. That’s according to a letter from SDSU President Adela de la Torre’s office to students, faculty and staff.
“We are aware that hundreds if not thousands of visas have similarly been revoked nationwide, often without advance notice or explanation from the federal government,” the letter signed by de la Torre, Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity Christopher Manning and Associate Vice President for SDSU International Affairs Cristina Alfaro.
California State University said 48 students in its system have had their visa revoked as of April 10.
The SDSU officials wrote that the federal government did not coordinate with the campus or provide advanced notice.
Information about F-1 visa holders is stored in a federal database. UC San Diego said it learned of its five students’ visa revocations during a routine check of that system. SDSU said it’s looking for changes multiple times a day.
Typically, schools are the ones to input information that could lead to a visa getting revoked, such as failing classes or not paying tuition, said immigration attorney Tammy Lin.
“What's unusual now is, it is the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, is going into systems and revoking it without giving really any notice to schools,” she said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said some people with revoked visas were involved in pro-Palestinian campus protests, while others had criminal records.
Arrests can affect a student’s ability to keep or renew a visa, even without a conviction. Immigration attorneys say some students had their visas revoked even though their criminal cases were dismissed.
Lin says it may lead students to avoid coming to the U.S. at all.
“The aim is to create fear, to create a chilling effect on everyone,” she said. “Students are a vital part of our communities, vital parts of our universities, our economy and they bring a wealth of knowledge that's very different from our own, that's impactful in so many ways.”
SDSU officials wrote they are not aware of any federal law enforcement activity on campus. Campus guidelines say immigration officers are allowed to enter public spaces on campus, but can’t go to places like classrooms, residence halls or offices without a judicial warrant.
The letter said university employees should not provide information to federal immigration enforcement officers if approached. Instead, they wrote, they should direct the officers to university officials.
“At San Diego State University, we are committed to protecting the rights, privacy and safety of every member of our community — regardless of immigration or citizenship status,” they wrote. “You are valued, and you are not alone.”
The university has also advised faculty, staff and students to carefully consider whether international travel is necessary “due to evolving federal policies and unpredictable risks.”
