Louisiana – The Trump administration's reported revocation of visas for 14 international students attending universities in Louisiana has sparked significant controversy.
According to announcements from university officials, visas were revoked for 7 students at Southern University, 3 students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2 students at the University of New Orleans, and 2 students at Tulane University.
Southern University spokesperson Janine Tate stated in a press release, "In early April, the visas of 7 of our students were revoked, and the university was not informed of the reasons." She added that the names of the students and the exact dates of the visa revocations could not be disclosed due to the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Marcus Jones, Chief Operating Officer of the University of Louisiana System, also confirmed the visa revocations of students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of New Orleans.
Meanwhile, Tulane University spokesperson Mike Strecker explained that the visas of two international students from their university were revoked based on "past criminal allegations unrelated to protest activities."
The Trump administration has taken a hard-line stance against international students deemed to have lost their eligibility to study in the United States, reportedly placing hundreds of students at risk of deportation.
American education publication Inside Higher Ed reported that the legal status of over 1,000 international students and recent graduates had been abruptly changed, with their lawyers claiming that many were targeted for exercising their freedom of expression. In particular, the Trump administration recently announced it would monitor immigrants' social media activities for "anti-Semitic" content.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed last month that the State Department had revoked the visas of over 300 international students, many of whom had participated in pro-Palestinian protests that swept university campuses.
The Trump administration has taken a firm stance against universities where student protests against Israel have occurred in the approximately 18 months since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and the kidnapping of over 250 people, leading to the war between Israel and Hamas, which, according to the UN, has resulted in the deaths of approximately 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women, children, and the elderly.
President Trump and other Republican figures have largely labeled the predominantly peaceful protests and expressions of support for Palestine as anti-Semitic. The Trump administration has warned 60 universities, including Tulane University, that they would lose federal funding if they failed to fulfill their obligation to "protect Jewish students on campus."
The recent visa revocations of international students at Louisiana universities are expected to intensify the debate over the Trump administration's strict immigration policies, as well as the freedom of expression and the rights of international students within universities.
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