The federal government has revoked over 1,300 student visas in its efforts to combat anti-Semitism and pro-Hamas campus activism.
Inside Higher Ed maintains a database of students who have had their visas revoked. As of publication, it states that more than 1,300 students and recent graduates “have had their legal status changed by the State Department.”
Institutions with the most revoked visas include the California State University system (48), Northwest Missouri State University (43) and Northeastern University (40), according to the data. Many of the individuals have come from schools located in the Northeast, the Midwest, Texas and California.
The author of the Inside Higher Ed report, Ashley Mowreader, told The Daily Caller that concerns regarding anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activity may be the basis for “some” of the revocations but not all of them. She told the outlet that “it’s very unclear what is driving these revocations” since “the government has provided little to no explanation.”
Some students who have had their visas revoked have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, as noted by Fox News. For instance, Mahmoud Khalil, an anti-Israel protest organizer at Columbia University, unsuccessfully tried to block his deportation.
On March 27, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department had revoked more than 300 visas nationwide. He specifically tied the revocations to anti-Israel student demonstrations on college campuses.
“Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” Rubio said in a press conference. “We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist.”
“U.S. visas are a privilege, rather than a right, reserved for those who make the United States better, not seek to destroy it from the inside,” Rubio wrote in an opinion piece on April 12.
In addition to attempting to remove foreign pro-Palestine protesters, the Trump administration has also sided with Jewish students in various legal battles. For instance, the Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted a statement last month in support of Jewish students at UCLA.
“The United States has a significant interest in the proper application of federal laws that ensure equal access to educational opportunities and facilities,” the DOJ explained, adding that it intended to “vigorously” battle anti-Semitism by “using all available and appropriate legal tools.”
Campus Reform has contacted the U.S. Department of State for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
