By Kevin Hendricks
A day after New Mexico State University announced that the Donald Trump administration revoked the visas of six international students, the University of New Mexico said “a small number” of its students are in a similar situation.
“A routine SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) database check revealed that a small number of UNM-affiliated individuals on non-immigrant student visas have had their SEVIS records terminated,” UNM Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair said. “This means their immigration status has been deactivated in the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.”
UNM did not disclose the number of students affected.
In most cases, the termination of a student’s SEVIS record means that the student must make plans to depart from the US.
“Their visas got revoked. That’s what that means,” said Rebecca Kitson, an Albuquerque-based immigration attorney.
The issues the students at UNM and NMSU are facing are similar, but there is a distinction between visas (issued by the Department of State) and status (determined by the Department of Homeland Security). The revocations are part of a broader collaboration between the two departments.
“There’s a difference between visas and status. Visas are only issued by the [U.S.] Department of State, only issued at a consulate generally, and visas just allow you to come and knock on the door and ask if you can be let in,” Kitson said. “Status is when the Border Patrol allows you to enter the United States for how long. You can have a non-immigrant visa that allows you to come knock on the door, and then they determine how long you can stay when a visa is revoked.”
The situations at NMSU and UNM come amid a broader trend of visa revocations affecting international students at universities across the United States and at a time of increased scrutiny of those students, particularly those involved in political activism. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that the State Department has revoked 300 or more students’ visas. The Trump administration has been particularly focused on students with a history of pro-Palestinian activism.
“The weird thing that’s happening right now is that the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security are working together and revoking the actual status from inside the United States and kicking people out,” Kitson said.
Representatives from UNM and NMSU were unable to give specific reasons why the visas were revoked or why SEVIS records were terminated.
“It doesn’t say why, which, of course, is the big question these days. But in general, when you’re going to school, your status in the United States is duration,” Kitson said. “It doesn’t have an expiration date. It just means that as long as you’re in compliance with your status, you’re allowed to remain here. So, if you’re still in your program, you get to stay here until you’re done.”
According to Department of Homeland Security data, there are 2,905 international students in New Mexico. However, Kitson suggested this number could decrease as the Trump Administration continues to target international students.
“The thing about it is, especially with non-immigrant visas, they’re relatively fragile,” Kitson said. “You’re here for a temporary purpose, to be fulfilled at the grace of the government. You don’t really have a lot of vested rights to be here because you’re just here for x, whatever x is. But it’s never been on this scale before, and it’s never been done in this way before, so it is really different.”
Officials have advised international students to monitor their visas and SEVIS accounts proactively and seek legal counsel if they have had any encounters with U.S. law enforcement or have had charges filed against them.
Love it! They need to get “educated “ in their own country!
There was no indication if the affected students were participants in political demonstrations here, so hard to judge.
Despicable misuse of power by the federal government to pressure and harass current and incoming international students. These institutions often run on the labor of international graduate workers in particular such as NMSU where a large percentage of graduate students are international and work as researchers, teachers, and teaching assistants. None of these students were any harm to our country and these universities are spineless for capitulating to the federal government on this. Even if they were at protest, this right is afforded to citizens and non-citizens alike and should not be considered grounds for revoking visas.
The end of free speech. What ever happened to “I do not agree with you, but I will fight for your right to say….”
In addition to pulling Federal research grant money, Universities will now loose tuition paid by foreign students (who I believe pay full freight). The Trump Regime is killing the world’s best university system. The word is out, don’t waste your time and money going to US Universities. You may be kicked out or detained without cause or due process. This is just one of the many ways Trump and his cohorts are making us the laughing stock of the world. Talk about shooting ourselves in the foot. It will take generations to recover from this disaster, if we ever do.
How sad and disappointing. People who travel abroad and citizens who engage with foreigners open their mind and their world to a larger viewpoint. How sad that some are so willing to shut down that process and live in a narrow viewpoint and mindset. It seems we in New Mexico and the United States can afford to open our point of view and “educate” ourselves to our own history—after all, New Mexico is one of the newest states. Educate yourself! And not on social media!