US revokes nearly 1,500 student visas: Who are the targets?

Hundreds of students and recent graduates have seen their visas revoked by immigration officials since United States President Donald Trump took office for a second time on January 20, 2025, with several also arrested.

Many of the targets of the visa revocations and arrests are students who participated in pro-Palestine protests which erupted on campuses across the country in 2024 amid Israel’s brutal war on Gaza. Others are individuals with more indirect links to Palestine – or those who have shown support for Gaza on social media.The Trump administration alleges that these students spread anti-Semitism and pro-Hamas sentiment on campus – a claim students, lawyers and activists have all rebutted. Jewish activists and groups have been at the forefront of many of the most prominent protests in the US against the Gaza war.

Others have had visas removed after minor legal infractions – a speeding ticket or other traffic violations, for instance.

Here’s what we know about the scale of visa revocations, the number of universities they span and some of the students who have been targeted:How many students have had their visas revoked?
In late March, US Secretary of State March Rubio said the administration had revoked an estimated 300 student visas.

But the real number is higher – much higher.

Estimates vary. At the higher end is the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s count, according to which more than 4,700 students have been removed from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement-maintained database known as the Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems (SEVIS).

Yet even more conservative tabulations point to a number comfortably more than 1,000. The National Association of Foreign Student Advisers (NAFSA) estimates that as of April 17, there are reports of about 1,400 students who now face deportation.How many universities have been affected?
According to Inside Higher Ed’s count, more than 240 universities and colleges across the US have had student visas revoked.

Colleges affected include private universities such as Harvard and Stanford, large public colleges and institutions such as Ohio State University and the University of Maryland, as well as some small arts colleges.

Why are the visas being revoked and what are the options?
The Trump administration claims it is trying to stop activists from taking over campuses.

“We are not going to be importing activists into the United States. They’re here to study. They’re here to go to class. They’re not here to lead activist movements that are disruptive and undermine the – our universities,” Rubio said on March 28.