About a dozen international students at Johns Hopkins University had their visas revoked, according to the Baltimore school.
University officials said the graduate students and recent grads had F-1 visas through the Student Exchange Visitor Information System from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Those visa records were terminated.
An F-1 visa allows a full-time college student to live in the U.S. legally with proof of enrollment, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The visa can often be extended if the path to graduation takes longer than expected.
As the sponsor of the visas, the university said it has taken action to inform students and is providing support services to those affected.
JHU officials said they have not gotten any information about why those student visas were revoked. They further clarified that they have not received any indication that the changes are due to expressions of free speech on campus.
So far, officials are not reporting any arrests or detentions of JHU students, though visa terminations require the students to leave the U.S.
Student visas revoked after pro-Palestine protests
The Trump administration’s crackdown on student visas began with individuals who reportedly participated in pro-Palestine protests that took over several college campuses in 2024.
An encampment related to the protests lasted for about 14 days at Johns Hopkins University, and ended after school leaders and student protestors reached an agreement.
The encampment violated JHU’s policies that protect freedom of expression and aim to ensure campus safety.
In late March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported that 300 visas had been revoked from students who participated in protests on campuses across the nation.
Rubio said students who had their visas terminated are “no longer legally in the United States. And we have a right, like every country in the world has a right, to remove you from our country.”
The move to revoke student visas has prompted questions about the First Amendment rights of foreign nationals who are green card or visa holders.
Since the announcement of those initial 300 student visas being revoked, several other universities in the U.S. announced similar situations on their campuses.
The University of Pennsylvania reported that three international students had their school-sponsored visas terminated. University officials also reported that the terminations did not appear to be connected to the 2024 protests.
Four University of Michigan students also had their visas revoked by the Department of Homeland Security, according to university officials.
Three Harvard University students and two recent graduates had their visas revoked, officials reported Sunday. There was no reason given, and school officials said they learned about the immigration status changes during a routine review of records.
