Over 300 international students studying at top U.S. universities such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and UC Berkeley have had their visas revoked. According to a legal memo by immigration attorney Rajiv S. Khanna, released on April 7, outlines a disturbing trend of sudden SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) terminations without prior notice—raising alarms over due process violations and political overreach.
The revocations, Khanna writes, stem from reasons ranging from failure to maintain immigration status and past minor criminal offenses, to alleged involvement in anti-U.S. protests or social media activity. Several universities confirmed learning about the visa cancellations only after manually checking SEVIS records, as no automated alerts were issued.
Legal experts fear this could be a crackdown on free speech. “These actions may defy constitutional protections and the Administrative Procedures Act,” Khanna’s memo states, adding that some terminations are based on minor past infractions such as DUIs—even for students later acquitted.
A lawsuit filed by labor unions representing university faculty argues that the actions violate the First Amendment, especially in cases linked to political activism. Several students have reportedly been detained by ICE agents, some by masked officers, further intensifying concerns.
For affected students, the options are grim: leave the country and reapply for a new visa—risking rejection—or stay and pursue costly litigation. As universities scramble for clarity, Khanna has called on impacted students to share their cases for collective legal strategy.
