Six MTSU international students' visas revoked, university officials say
In an April 10 Student Government Association meeting, Byrnes said four students had been 'identified by Homeland Security' and subsequently had their visas revoked.
A follow-up statement provided by a university spokesperson on April 11 confirmed that the number was six.
'Middle Tennessee State University has been made aware that changes to the immigration status of six of our international students were recently made in a federal immigration database,' the spokesperson said.
'The information flow has been a bit sketchy, but they had their visas,' Byrnes said, at the student government meeting. 'These are international students whose visas have been revoked, so they are supposed to be going home, and if they don't, then they're in violation. That's the extent of what has happened here at MTSU.'
Byrnes' statement was in response to a student in attendance who asked Byrnes about an email allegedly sent to faculty members from the Provost's office detailing how faculty should 'handle the potential of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents coming on campus.'
Byrnes confirmed that the email was written by a university lawyer, saying that there is 'nothing secret in there.'
'We do have to cooperate,' he said, adding that there are 'certain protocols that have to be followed, including having an MTSU officer there,' referencing the possible scenario of ICE agents' detainment of students on campus.
'Now, will that always happen in every case?' he said. 'If it's outside a classroom or a private area, then all that stuff doesn't really apply. If you're walking across campus—I don't know how to put it—it's an open campus.'
The statement provided by a spokesperson for MTSU on April 11 stressed the university's commitment to the international student community.
'MTSU has and will follow all federal and state laws, some of which limit what we can share about our students,' the statement said. 'We greatly value our international student community, and, through our International Affairs office, we are reaching out to impacted students and are working to answer any questions they may have.'
The news comes days after nine students were confirmed to have their immigration status changed at University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
The Trump administration has revoked hundreds of international student visas across the country over the last few weeks, setting off a desperate scramble for students to leave the United States within days.
Universities have reported some students being forced to leave immediately, in many cases after discovering their visas were canceled in the federal Student Exchange and Visitor Information System or via an unexpected text or email. Multiple universities contacted by the USA TODAY Network regarding the visa cancellations declined to discuss specifics, citing student confidentiality.
Now, nineteen Democratic state attorneys general are asking a federal judge to stop the Trump administration from cancelling hundreds of international student visas.
The amicus brief filed April 11 by AGs from Arizona, California, Michigan and New York, among others, says an estimated 700 international students have lost their visas. The cancellations have forced students to leave the United States essentially on the spot, in some cases sending university administrators scrambling to figure out how to help them complete their degrees from their home countries.
The visa cancellations reflect a small percentage of the estimated 1.5 million international students in the United States. According to the federal government, California is home to the largest number of international students, and the most popular majors among international students are computer science, language, and business administration and management.
USATODAY's Trevor Hughes contributed to this report.
The USA TODAY Network - Tennessee's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.
Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@gannett.com, by phone at 931-623-9485, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Six MTSU students have visas revoked amid wave of Trump cancellations
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