The University of Massachusetts Amherst confirmed Saturday that federal authorities have revoked the visas of five international students.
Chancellor Javier Reyes called the incidents “troubling news” in a letter was published online Friday evening.
“In each of the five cases, the students’ legal status to remain in the United States has been revoked,” Reyes wrote. “The university was not notified by federal authorities of these status revocations and only became aware as a result of proactive checks in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database.”
He added that the school is working with the state attorney general, and he advised international students on school-sponsored visas to reach out to UMass’ Office of Global Affairs if they “receive any communications (phone calls or emails) purporting to be from the federal government.”
A spokesperson for the university said officials has “no reason to believe that these revocations are connected to campus activism.” Foreign-born students and scholars at the University of Cincinnati, Columbia University, the University of Alabama and elsewhere appear to have been targeted as a result of their activism.
The University of California confirmed Friday that “international students across several of our campuses” were similarly affected by visa revocations; it did not specify how many people were affected and at which schools in its 10-campus system.
Separately, Fordham University in New York said an undergraduate student’s visa was revoked, too.
“For many of the brilliant members of the Fordham community joining us from countries around the world, this is a source of growing distress and anxiety. I wish it were within my power to offer you reassurance,” Fordham President Tania Tetlow said Friday night in an email to the campus community.
Tetlow, who did not provide further details about the student’s identity, said the school has put together a working group to “navigate these issues, plan our response, and provide support.” The group will share more guidance soon, she said, adding that students who have something happen to their immigration status should call Fordham Public Safety, available 24/7.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday night.
The recent crackdowns are a signal of the Trump administration's efforts to target people who have obtained legal status to study and live in the United States.
Reyes joined other college leaders in saying the actions could stop international students from wanting to study in the United States.
“Attracting students from every corner of the globe, higher education in the United States has always been the envy of the world,” Reyes wrote.
He said the school has emergency grants to assist students who face immigration obstacles from the federal government.
“I want to stress how important our international community is to the vitality of our campus,” he wrote, “and assure every international student and scholar at UMass of our unwavering support as we confront this new reality.”
