From Harvard and Tufts to UMass, students at top US universities face visa revocation over minor offences. What we know

In a major blow to international students pursuing education at American universities, the US Department of State has revoked the visas of several students in recent days, reported WBUR.

Tufts University, Harvard University, UMass, Boston University, Emerson College, Northeastern University and Berklee College of Music all said that they had discovered student visas were cancelled in the last few days, the WBUR report said.

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As of April 7, the State Department had revoked 40 visas of people affiliated with Northeastern, including 18 current students and 22 alumni, reported The Huntington News, citing Northeastern Vice President for Communications Renata Nyul.

“Northeastern is committed to helping our international students, faculty and staff — and our entire global community — stay informed and safe at a time of deep uncertainty,” Northeastern’s “Navigating a New Political Landscape” FAQ page reads.

However, it was not clear why the visas were cancelled.

The federal government has not notified the universities of their students’ change of status. They rather learned about it when records were reviewed.

“These decisions are happening in a vacuum, without communication to the school or the student, and [university leaders] are trying to work backward to figure out why,” said Rob McCarron, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, according to the WBUR report.

The official number of visas terminated is also not known.

According to media reports, the visas of three students and two recent graduates were revoked at Harvard University. Fifteen students across the five University of Massachusetts campuses have had their visas cancelled.

Why are visas revoked?

The development comes amid the Trump administration’s clampdown on non-US citizens engaging in political advocacy on campus.

“The United States has zero tolerance for non-citizens who violate U.S. laws. Those who break the law, including students, may face visa refusal, visa revocation, and/or deportation,” a department spokesperson said in a statement to The Boston Globe.

“The Department of State will continue to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to administer and enforce U.S. visas and immigration laws.”

Last month, the Trump administration said that 300 student visas had been cancelled.

While some students were told to return to their native country for pro-Palestinian activism or criminal activity, others had their visas revoked for traffic violations.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, most foreign students are on F-1 visas. If their visas are terminated, immigration officials can verify the student has left the country.

Students whose visas are revoked due to a violation do not get a grace period to stay in the US.