Emory University confirmed Thursday that a current student and three recent alumni had their student visas terminated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The alumni were still under Emory’s immigration sponsorship while participating in post-graduate practical training programs. Their visa terminations mean they no longer have legal immigration status in the U.S., making them vulnerable to detention by immigration authorities.
According to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Emory officials discovered the terminations earlier this week while reviewing records in the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an online database maintained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that tracks international students.
The discovery came without prior notice from federal authorities, according to a message to the Emory community from Lanny S. Liebeskind, the university’s interim executive vice president for academic affairs.
“Recent news stories have highlighted the terminations of such SEVIS records at many of our peer institutions and the potential impact on the legal status of international students and scholars,” Liebeskind wrote. “Unfortunately, members of the Emory community have now been directly affected by such terminations.”
The university did not specify why the SEVIS records were terminated and said it is continuing to monitor the system for additional changes. Officials plan to maintain direct communication with those impacted.
Emory is not alone. According to a report by Inside Higher Ed, more than 120 colleges and universities across the country have identified at least 640 international students or recent graduates who have lost their legal status following similar terminations.
The University of Georgia told the AJC earlier this week that some of its international students were also affected, though it declined to disclose how many. Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, and Kennesaw State University have not confirmed whether their students have experienced similar terminations.
