The US Department of State has asked hundreds of international students studying in the country to self deport after revoking their F-1 visas (student visas) due to campus activism.
The crackdown, via emails, is not limited to students who physically participated in campus activism but targets people who shared or even liked ‘anti-national’ posts.
Some Indian students may also be at the receiving end of such emails for something as innocuous as sharing a social media post, The Times Of India reported, quoting Immigration attorneys who confirmed the development.
According to the latest Open Doors report, of the 1.1 million international students studying in the US in 2023-24, 3.31 lakh are Indian students.
The action followed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement regarding the revocation of several international students’ visas for so-called anti-national activities.
“It might be more than 300 at this point. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas…Every country in the world has a right to decide who comes in as a visitor and who doesn’t,” Rubio said at a press conference in Guyana on Thursday, without elaborating on whose visas had been revoked.
Speaking to reporters on the plane back to Washington, Rubio said the 300 revoked visas were a combination of student and visitor visas.
He said he signed every single action.
“At some point, I hope we run out because we’ve gotten rid of all of them, but we’re looking every day for these lunatics that are tearing things up,” he said.
Rubio’s office recently also launched an AI-powered app, “Catch and Revoke”, aimed to detect and cancel the visas of students who are found supporting Hamas or other designated terrorist organisations, said reports.
As part of the crackdown, the DOS (which includes Consulate officials) is also scrutinising even new student applications, be it for an F (academic study visa), M (vocational study visa), or J (exchange visa). If found guilty, applicants will be denied the opportunity to study in the US.
What did the email say?
The email received by students from the authorities asked them to self-deport themselves using the CBP Home App that the US President Donald Trump administration launched on March 10.
“On behalf of the United States Department of State, the Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Office hereby informs you that additional information became available after your visa was issued. As a result, your F-1 visa with expiration date XXXXX was revoked in accordance with Section 221(i) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended,” the TOI reported, citing the email.
“The Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Office has alerted the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which manages the Student Exchange Visitor Program and is responsible for removal proceedings. They may notify your designated school official about the revocation of your F-1 visa,” it added.
The document warned that if these students continue to stay in the United States without lawful immigration status, it could lead to fines, detention, and/or deportation.
“It may also make you ineligible for a future US visa. Please note that deportation can take place at a time that does not allow the person being deported to secure possessions or conclude affairs in the United States. Persons being deported may be sent to countries other than their countries of origin,” it further read.
It further said that if the deported students want to return to America in the future, they would need to apply for a fresh visa, and then their eligibility will be reassessed.
“As soon as you depart the United States, you must personally present your passport to the US embassy or consulate which issued your visa so your visa can be physically cancelled. You must not attempt to use your visa, as it has been revoked. If you intend to travel to the United States in the future, you must apply for another US visa, and a determination on your eligibility for a visa will be made at that time,” the mail added.
