International students nationwide have had their visas revoked as part of the Trump Administration’s mission to restrict immigration. In the CU system, 22 students have had their visas revoked, with at least one confirmed at UCCS.
Over 1,024 students have received notifications from the federal government and their universities that their F-1 legal status has been terminated, and that they are required to leave the United States, according to AP News.
There are over 10,300 international students that attend Colorado universities. As of the 2024 academic year, 203 international students were enrolled at UCCS. A report from the Office of International Affairs found that international students contributed $6.3 million dollars to the Colorado Springs economy in 2023-2024.
According to Robin Parent, vice chancellor of strategic initiatives and chief of staff, international students at UCCS have had their visas revoked before, but “it hasn’t been at the volume that we are currently seeing.”
“This impacts students in a very personal way. Besides creating a very stressful moment, it can also feel like they’re being targeted,” Parent said. She said the university is committed to ensuring that their responses to the revocations remain sensitive to how students are feeling, and that actions are being taken by the CU System to connect students with legal counsel.
In a Federal Transition Update released on April 4, CU’s Office of Government Relations outlined recent actions taken by the Trump Administration to reduce the number of international students in higher education.
In the update, Kerry Tipper, vice president of University Counsel and Danielle Radovich Piper, senior vice president of external relations and strategy, wrote, “The administration is considering a new policy to prevent some colleges and universities from enrolling foreign students altogether.”
In a statement issued on April 17, CU University Relations said that federal agencies have not shared their reasoning for revoking the CU students’ visas.
According to the BBC, students that have participated in “pro-Palestinian activities” have specifically been targeted. Other revocations appear to be connected to criminal records and minor legal infractions like speeding. In many cases, however, the students impacted do not have a criminal record.
Further federal actions include screening international applicants’ social media profiles to determine if they exhibit a “hostile attitude toward American citizens, government institutions or founding principles,” per reporting from the New York Times. According to Axios, screenings will consider “antisemitism” and “pro-Hamas views.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been leading the effort to revoke visas. Rubio told members of the press during a conference on March 28, “They’re visitors to the country. If they’re taking activities that are counter to our foreign, to our national interest, to our foreign policy, we’ll revoke the visa.”
An appeal process is available to impacted international students through the Office of International Affairs. UCCS is able to offer letters of support to students appealing visa cancelations. Institutional letters assist students in the reinstatement process, according to Parent.
The Office of International Affairs provides immigration updates for international students. The office also offers resources like immigration advisors and steps for maintaining F-1 status.
This article is part of a series focusing on how the executive orders from the Trump Administration affect students. The previous article on UCCS’ position during the federal transition can be found on the Scribe executive order page.
Photo courtesy of History.com.