Hundreds of students and recent graduates have seen their visas revoked by immigration officials since United States President Donald Trump took office for a second time on January 20, 2025, with several also arrested.Many of the targets of the visa revocations and arrests are students who participated in pro-Palestine protests which erupted on campuses across the country in 2024 amid Israel’s brutal war on Gaza. Others are individuals with more indirect links to Palestine – or those who have shown support for Gaza on social media.
The Trump administration alleges that these students spread anti-Semitism and pro-Hamas sentiment on campus – a claim students, lawyers and activists have all rebutted. Jewish activists and groups have been at the forefront of many of the most prominent protests in the US against the Gaza war.
Others have had visas removed after minor legal infractions – a speeding ticket or other traffic violations, for instance.
Here’s what we know about the scale of visa revocations, the number of universities they span and some of the students who have been targeted: Advertisement
How many students have had their visas revoked?
In late March, US Secretary of State March Rubio said the administration had revoked an estimated 300 student visas.
But the real number is higher – much higher.
Estimates vary. At the higher end is the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s count, according to which more than 4,700 students have been removed from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement-maintained …