Fitting a rising pattern at universities nationally, UConn says the Trump Administration has revoked some international student visas without explanation.
13 people on the Storrs campus have recently had their visas terminated, according to the university: 6 undergrads, 6 grad students and 1 in a “post-graduate professional program.”
“UConn is working to understand the implications for those students, including their academic and employment options, and has compiled a list of legal resources that may be of assistance,” said UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz in a statement issued Monday afternoon.
There are no reports of UConn students being seized by federal agents. When asked if the students in question are still on campus, Reitz said the university can’t release more information, “since we’re subject to federal student privacy laws.”
The State Department has revoked hundreds of student visas around the country, claiming it’s part of a campaign to fight anti-Semitism. In one tactic that’s been employed, Homeland Security says it’s been scouring social media to identify what it considers “extremism.”
Nationally, some international students feel they’re simply being targeted for something that’s not illegal: opposing U.S. policy.
UConn has told students who’ve lost their visas that the university can’t provide legal assistance, but adds that “we remain committed to doing anything we can to support our students, faculty, and staff on this or any issue.” The school has published a list of legal resources.
UConn students, primarily Americans including Connecticut residents, held rallies on the Storrs campus last spring, opposing U.S. backing of Israel in the war in Gaza and UConn’s ties to Israeli companies. It’s unclear if any of the UConn students now targeted by the State Department took part in those protests.
4 students at Yale University have also had visas terminated. Yale was also the site of pro-Palestinian protests last year.