Students were told to leave the country immediately, though it’s unclear how many have left. The number of visas revoked could rise, the State Department said.
Officials at the University of California’s Los Angeles and San Diego campuses said on April 6 that several international students have lost their visas.
At least 12 students at UCLA and six at UC San Diego lost their
F-1 visas, revoking their permission to study in the United States, U.S. officials reported Sunday.
Foreign students had visas terminated at Berkeley, Santa Barbara, Davis, and Irvine campuses, according to the schools. That included at least six in
Berkeley, three in
Santa Barbara, five in
Irvine, and seven in
Davis. It’s unclear how many of the students have actually left the country.
President Donald Trump issued an
executive order in January to combat anti-Semitism on college campuses that allowed students to be deported if they express views that, for example, support the terrorist group Hamas.
Thousands of students throughout the university system participated in pro-Palestinian protests last year as Israel engaged in war with the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza following the attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Many of the
demonstrations included takeovers of public areas on campus, and several students were
arrested during clashes with local police.
All visa applicants must prove they qualify for a visa to come to the United States, according to a State Department spokesperson.
“The United States has zero tolerance for noncitizens who violate U.S. laws,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email on Monday. “Those who break the law, including students, may face visa refusal, visa revocation, and/or deportation.”
The numbers could climb as the State Department continues its review of visa holders, the spokesperson said.
“As the secretary indicated, the department revokes visas every day in order to secure America’s borders and keep our communities safe—and will continue to do so,” the spokesperson said. “Because the process is ongoing, the number of revocations is dynamic.”
The department generally doesn’t provide statistics on visa revocations, according to the spokesperson.
The University of California system announced Friday that officials were aware of the visa terminations.
“This is a fluid situation, and we continue to monitor and assess its implications for the UC community and the people affected,” UC President Michael Drake said in the
statement. “The university will continue to follow all applicable state and federal laws.”
UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk said on Sunday in a campus-wide email that six of the campus’s students lost visas and six alumni participating in an optional training program were also revoked, according to the student newspaper
The Daily Bruin.
Frenk said the termination notices said that the students had violated the terms of their visas.
“At this time, UCLA is not aware of any federal law enforcement activity on campus related to these terminations,” Frenk stated.
In San Diego, the six students whose visas were revoked were instructed to leave the country immediately, with no explicit timeline given, UCSD Public Relations Council Director Matt Nagel told the school’s
newspaper on Monday.
UC Davis Chancellor Gary May issued a
statement on Saturday at the Northern California campus.
“At UC Davis, seven students and five recent graduates have had their F-1 visas terminated,” May said. “This number may change. Federal agents have not entered our campus, and they have not placed any member of our community in custody.”
The Davis campus was providing resources for the students affected, according to May.
The chancellor also said university police would not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and would not detain or arrest anyone for violating federal immigration law.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the reason why the students’ visas were revoked. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
