Tell Us
International students at several Boston-area and Massachusetts schools had their visas revoked. Are you concerned?
The Trump administration has revoked several visas from international students at universities in Boston and across Massachusetts, as part of the president’s crackdown on immigration and higher education – a move that has some university leaders and students fearful.
-
Visas revoked for Berklee, Emerson students
-
With universities threatened, can Boston still be Boston?
More than two dozen students had their visas revoked without warning as of Monday, the Boston Globe reported. University leaders are concerned that the move will dissuade international students from wanting to study in the U.S. – a fear heightened for the Boston-area, which thrives on the financial support and academic identity that universities provide.
“These actions by the federal government are extremely troubling and upsetting,” UMass president Marty Meehan told the Globe on Monday. “Massachusetts and the nation have grown stronger because of this infusion of talent,” he added.
The visa revocations are part of the president’s and the Department of State and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to terminate the legal status of international students who have allegedly engaged in criminal behavior while in the U.S., or in pro-Palestinian activism.
The assault has expanded in the last two weeks, as colleges around the country have discovered international students have had not just their visas revoked but also, in many cases, their legal residency status terminated by authorities without notice.
One such case was that of Rümeysa Öztürk, a PhD student at Tufts University, who was arrested by federal immigration agents in Somerville and transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana on March 25. The Trump administration has said it revoked her visa for allegedly participating in activities in support of Hamas.
Visas have been revoked at Berklee College of Music, Emerson College, Northeastern University, Boston University, Harvard University, UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, and Tufts University, as of Tuesday.
We want to know: Are you concerned about the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration and higher education?
If you’re a student, a member of a university affected by the revocations, or simply a concerned citizen we want to hear from you.
Tell us by filling out the form or e-mailing us at [email protected], and your response may appear in a future Boston.com article.
Are you concerned about President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration and higher education?
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
