US accelerates student visa cancellations

The administration of US President Donald Trump has ramped up efforts over the past month to cancel the visas and residence permits of international students, according to an analysis.

The study, published by Inside Higher Ed, a news, analysis and solutions platform for the higher education community, found the administration had “rapidly canceled hundreds of student visas” in recent weeks.

“Over the last month, the Trump administration has rapidly ramped up efforts to revoke students’ visas and residency status, and it shows no sign of slowing down,” it said.

Within a five-day span, 147 student visas were canceled across 48 educational institutions, though the total number is believed to be much higher, according to the study.

It also highlighted that visa cancellations are not limited to issues such as support for Palestine, saying that in some cases, even minor offenses have led to detention.

In one example, a Colombian undergraduate student at the University of Florida was detained for driving with an expired license and is currently being held at a facility operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The report also suggested that many students may be unaware that their visas have been revoked, adding some small colleges have avoided disclosing visa cancellations publicly for fear of triggering federal scrutiny.