Washington, D.C. — In a sweeping enforcement measure announced August 19, 2025, the U.S. State Department has revoked more than 6,000 student visas, citing overstays and alleged violations of U.S. law, including assault, DUI, burglary, and even “support for terrorism”—though officials did not clarify whether these cases involved charges, arrests, or convictions.
According to a State Department official, approximately two-thirds of these revocations were connected to legal infractions, while between 200 and 300 were attributed to alleged support for terrorism under federal statute. The decision follows earlier actions during campus protests where some international students were penalized for their political expression, such as the high-profile visa revocation—and eventual restoration—of Tufts doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained by ICE.
The total impacted students represent only a small portion of the approximately 1.1 million foreign students enrolled in U.S. colleges during the 2023–24 academic year, yet the revocations have triggered alarm across campuses. In response, the federal government has increasingly intensified scrutiny of visa applicants’ online behavior, including requirements for their social media profiles to be made public and screened for antisemitic content.
Legal backlash has already begun. Earlier this year, courts intervened to reinstate SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records for more than 4,700 students whose legal status had been abruptly terminated—even when no crime was proven. Critics argue that many students lost their visas based on sweeping checks—sometimes for minor or even dismissed infractions—without individualized review or due process.
As the government moves forward, international students and universities are grappling with uncertainty. The revocations, while aimed at bolstering national security and adherence to law, have sparked concerns about fairness, academic interruption, and broader implications for international engagement with U.S. institutions.
