EDITOR’S NOTE: Multimedia journalist Timothy Parker spoke with a UCLA student and an LMU law professor about the federal government revoking international students’ visas. Click the arrow above to watch the video.
LOS ANGELES — University of California officials said the federal government has revoked the student visas of more than a dozen international students at UCLA and UC San Diego.
UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk said in a letter to UCLA students on Sunday that at least six current UCLA students and six former students taking part in an Optional Practical Training program have had their F-1 visas terminated. The OPT is a temporary work permit that allows international students to gain work experience in their field of study.
Frenk said more students could also see their status revoked.
“In recent days, a number of international students on F-1 status at universities across the nation have had their visas revoked and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) status terminated by the federal government,” Frenk wrote. “These actions have understandably created a great deal of questions within our Bruin community. As your chancellor, I will always strive to keep you informed on important situations.”
At UC San Diego, immigration authorities terminated the F-1 visas of at least five students and detained another international student at the Mexico-U.S. border before deporting that student, UC San Diego Pradeep K. Khosla said.
“The federal government has not explained the reasons behind these terminations,” Khosla said. “The students have been notified, and we are working directly with them to provide support.”
The revocation of the student visas comes as the Trump administration continues to target international students whom they allege are pro-Palestinian activists or take part in activism activities.
It’s unclear whether the UCLA and UC San Diego students whose visas and legal U.S. residency status were recently terminated participated in such activism.
However, it appears to be part of Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Nationwide, campus presidents and leaders — from Kentucky to Stanford — have said the federal government has notified them that some of their students have had their student visas canceled.
“The State Department revokes visas every day in order to secure America’s borders and keep our communities safe—and will continue to do so,” a State Department official said in a statement to the education news site Inside Higher Ed.
The spokesperson did not specify the types of international students the administration is targeting or offer statistics on the number of students whose visas and residency have been revoked.
UCLA Chancellor Frenk said that the termination notices the university received indicated “that all terminations were due to violations of the terms of the individuals’ visa programs. At this time, UCLA is not aware of any federal law enforcement activity on campus related to these terminations.”
Frenk said that they remain committed to supporting their students and campus.
“We recognize that these actions can bring feelings of tremendous uncertainty and anxiety to our community. We want our immigrant and international UCLA students, staff and faculty to know we support your ability to work, learn, teach and thrive here,” he said.
“As UCLA leaders and I wrote in our March 12 letter to our Bruin community: You are not alone. You belong at UCLA, and you are an essential part of our community,” he added.
