The US government has announced the cancellation of more than 6,000 student visas within the last seven months, marking one of the most aggressive immigration crackdowns in recent years.
According to the State Department, the revocations were carried out under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has leaned on a little-known legal provision that allows visas to be withdrawn if the holder is deemed a threat to US foreign policy or national interests.
Officials revealed that roughly 4,000 of the cancelled visas were tied to legal violations, including assault, DUI, burglary, and cases flagged as support for terrorism. However, the Department did not release details on the nationalities of those affected.
President Donald Trump has openly backed the move, which has been celebrated by his right-wing supporters. Rubio, echoing the administration’s tough immigration stance, has also vowed to focus heavily on students from China and those involved in protests critical of Israel.
In recent months, high-profile cases have fueled legal battles. Mahmoud Khalil, a US permanent resident who organized pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, was freed by a judge after being detained. Similarly, Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish student at Tufts University, was released in May after being taken by plainclothes agents for writing a column critical of Israel.
Both cases have drawn criticism from rights advocates, who accuse the administration of targeting dissent and undermining free expression. Rubio, however, insists that non-citizens are not entitled to US constitutional protections such as free speech.
The visa revocations are part of the broader Trump administration push for mass deportations and stricter migration controls—policies that continue to stir controversy both in the US and abroad.
-Deeprows News
For Latest Gists,
