300+ F1 student visas revoked; more may follow: US on immigration crackdown

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the number of revoked visas may already have crossed 300

The United States has revoked more than 300 F-1 student visas in recent weeks, with the Trump administration saying the crackdown targets foreign nationals involved in pro-Palestinian protests on American campuses.

 

“Every country in the world has a right to decide who comes in and who doesn’t,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a press briefing, according to Bloomberg. “We’re looking every day for these lunatics that are tearing things up.”

 

Rubio confirmed that the number of revoked visas may already have crossed 300. “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” he said.

 

Immigration agents recently detained several international students, including Mahmoud Khalil, a green-card holder and former Columbia University graduate student who led pro-Palestinian demonstrations. A Turkish student at Tufts University was also taken into custody on Tuesday, while a 21-year-old Columbia junior and permanent resident has filed a lawsuit to block potential deportation.

 

The arrests have triggered concern among foreign students, especially those involved in political protests since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023, following an attack by Hamas, which the US designates a terrorist organisation.

 

Trump, who returned to office earlier this year, had campaigned on deporting foreign students who support Hamas.

 

Columbia University and federal funding

 

The Trump administration has singled out Columbia, where Khalil protested, as a key target. The administration temporarily froze $400 million in federal funding to the university, accusing it of not doing enough to tackle antisemitism on campus. The funding is now expected to be restored after the university agreed to measures including expanded campus police powers.

 

“Why would any country in the world allow people to come and disrupt?” Rubio said. “We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist that tears up our university campuses.”

 

Indian students reconsider US

 

Mamta Shekhawat, founder of Gradding.com, a study-abroad platform, said interest in the US has plunged among Indian students.

 

“It is almost 2 months into the Trump administration in the USA, and the destination that was a top choice for overseas education is facing backlash from almost 80% of the study abroad candidates,” she told Business Standard.

 

Shekhawat said many students are now deliberately avoiding the US. “When asked why, one of them replied: 'I have seen thousands of social media posts on X and Reddit saying that students already there are afraid to go to their home country on vacations, wondering if they will be allowed back in or not.'”

 

Students self-censor, educators raise alarm

 

A South Asian PhD student at the University of Rochester told AP she no longer joins political protests or speaks publicly about LGBTQ+ issues.

 

“You're here for an education so you've got to keep moving forward on that end,” she said, asking not to be named. “But also it's very hard to, say, OK, I'm at work. I've got to zone out. I can't be thinking about the news.”

 

Arun Goyat, founder of CodeQuotient, which connects Indian tech talent with employers, pointed to several recent developments that have added to the uncertainty:

 

Johns Hopkins University cutting 2,000 jobs after losing $800 million in grants  

UMass Chan Medical School cancelling its entire incoming PhD class  

National Institutes of Health capping administrative costs at 15%  

 

“These aren't mere budget adjustments—they're life-altering events for thousands of students who spent years preparing, only to have their dreams shattered overnight,” Goyat wrote on X.

 

He added, “Now, even after clearing all hurdles, these determined students face unprecedented uncertainty. Visas in limbo, housing arrangements cancelled, career trajectories disrupted—all with minimal warning.”

 

But Trump administration is alone not responsible for drop in interest among foreign students

 

Even before the crackdown, rejection rates for US F-1 student visas had been on the rise. According to a report in the Indian Express:

 

Between October 2023 and September 2024, 279,000 F-1 visa applications were denied out of 679,000 - a 41% rejection rate.

In the previous financial year, 253,000 out of 699,000 applications were rejected—a 36% rejection rate.