Latest news with #andRevoke
Russia Today
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
India raises concerns over students' deportation as Vance lands in Delhi
New Delhi has reportedly voiced concerns about the revocation of visas of Indian students in the US ahead of US Vice President J.D. Vance's trip to New Delhi, according to a report in The Hindu. The vice president arrived in New Delhi on Monday for a three-day visit, where he will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The issue of the visas being cancelled came to light after a survey conducted by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) found that over 4,000 students had received revocation notices in the past two months; 50% of the survey respondents who received them were were from India. The US has seen a surge in such visa terminations, which coincides with the introduction of a new AI-powered program- 'Catch and Revoke', reportedly aimed at identifying students with social media posts that may be deemed contrary to US foreign policy interests, the report said. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security is conducting a nationwide crackdown on students who have been flagged in police databases, resulting in the termination of their status due to alleged visa violations under US immigration laws. However, the US government has denied specifically targeting Indians with its actions on the issue. #WATCH | Delhi: Vice President of the United States, JD Vance receives ceremonial Guard of Honour as he arrives at Palam airport for his first official visit to India. Earlier this month, two Indian researchers were among the initial group of students who received so-called 'self-deportation' notices. New Delhi's foreign ministry initially advised Indian students to 'follow the law'. However, as more Indian students were affected, some have turned to the courts to appeal for the restoration of their visa status. Recently, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian embassy and consulates are 'in touch' with the affected students and are offering them support. Other cases include a student facing potential deportation over a two-year-old traffic incident in New York and another having his visa suddenly revoked despite complying with conditions after a driving under the influence arrest in Missouri, an Economic Times report said. Indian students are also facing potential legislation that could prevent them from staying in the US and working for a year after finishing their courses. A new bill proposes the elimination of a work authorization program for students, potentially affecting 300,000 of them.
The Intercept
08-04-2025
- Politics
- The Intercept
First Trump Targeted Pro-Palestine Students. Now All Kinds of Foreign Students Are at Risk.
The Trump administration is expanding its campaign against international students to target not just those active in pro-Palestine advocacy, but also students entirely uninvolved in protests and campus activism. With little or no justification, the Trump administration is revoking the visas and immigration statuses of hundreds of international students under the Student Exchange and Visitor Program, leaving them vulnerable to detention and deportation, according to attorneys representing international scholars who have filed new lawsuits against the Trump administration. 'It's a concerted effort to go after people who are from countries and religions that the Trump administration wants to get out of the country.' In some cases, the government has gone after students with minor infractions or misdemeanors on their record, or, for others, no criminal history at all. Several immigration attorneys have also told The Intercept that the bulk of their clients are from Muslim-majority countries or other countries in Asia and Africa. It will take days for immigration attorneys to sift through the waves of new cases. In late March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed media reports that at least 300 visas had been revoked in its 'Catch and Revoke' program, and said that number would rise daily. Immigration attorneys who spoke with The Intercept on Monday estimate the number of student visa revocations may have risen into the thousands in recent days. While the Trump administration's most-publicized attacks on students have revolved around free speech rights with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests of students for protesting or writing opinion journalism, the recent rush of revocations aligns with Trump's wider, xenophobic campaign against immigrants and immigration. 'It's a concerted effort to go after people who are from countries and religions that the Trump administration wants to get out of the country,' said Johnny Sinodis, a San Francisco-based immigration attorney who filed a lawsuit on Monday in California against the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of a targeted student. This new string of attacks on international students began over the weekend, ensnaring students at a wide swath of colleges and universities — such as Colorado State University, St. Cloud State University, North Carolina State University, Kent State University, and throughout the University of California system in Los Angeles, Berkeley, Irvine, and San Diego. Many of the ensnared students do not attend universities that have previously been targeted by the Trump administration over allegations of 'antisemitism,' such as Columbia, Tufts, or Cornell. In one such case, Xiaotian Liu, a doctoral candidate studying computer science at Dartmouth College and a Chinese citizen, received an email from school administrators on Friday that the Department of Homeland Security had terminated his student status, according to a new complaint filed Monday in a federal district court in New Hampshire against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Director Todd Lyons. To remain within the U.S. to study, international students in the program must maintain their student status through an online database run by DHS called the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. Administrators told Liu that the government had terminated his SEVIS account, but the government offered little explanation why. Instead, the government SEVIS database vaguely stated that Liu had been 'identified in a criminal records check and/or has had their visa revoked.' Both explanations were a shock to Liu since he had no criminal history and had been unaware of any change to his student visa, the complaint said. Liu, who has been living in New Hampshire since graduating from Wake Forest University with a bachelor's and master's degrees, also had not participated in any protests in the U.S. or elsewhere, the suit said. Without his SEVIS account, Liu can no longer receive his Ph.D. program stipend or work as a research assistant, hurting his ability to earn money. It's still unclear whether Liu's F-1 student visa, which allows him to enter the U.S. when traveling, has also been revoked. In a declaration filed in court, Liu said he fears being arrested and imprisoned in far-off places throughout the country, mentioning Louisiana, where the government has been transferring many recent student detainees. Attorneys in other cases have stated that such hasty transfers, which occur without notice to counsel, are meant to isolate students from their legal representation and seek favorable rulings from more conservative districts. 'It's an unconscionable position for him to be in,' said Gilles Bissonnette, legal director at the ACLU of New Hampshire, which is presenting Liu in his case. 'All he wants to do is complete his studies in peace — and now he has to live under the fear of being detained by immigration enforcers in the United States.' 'He's never committed a crime, never had an issue.' Bissonnette said Liu's case represents 'significant escalation' in the Trump administration's tactics of cracking down on immigrants. The lawsuit called the termination of Liu's SEVIS account 'unlawful' and argued that the government violated his due process rights in revoking Liu's student status without notice or a proper hearing, which is required by DHS policy. The revocation of an F-1 visa is not grounds to revoke a student's SEVIS status, the complaint said. The suit asks the court to force the government to provide evidence for the revocation, reinstate his SEVIS account, and prevent the government from detaining Liu. 'He's never committed a crime, never had an issue, and now to have to live under the fear of having all of that ripped away without reason is just deeply concerning and troubling,' Bissonnette said. The DHS did not immediately respond to The Intercept's requests for comment. Since the start of the student crackdown with the arrest of Columbia student leader Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian, the Trump administration has appeared to have a special focus on students from Muslim-majority countries, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia. In recent days, the dragnet has appeared to widen to include students from other countries such as India, South Korea, and China, attorneys who are also suing the Trump administration told The Intercept. Others from across the U.S., including an immigration attorney representing international students at Arizona State University, have made similar observations of the apparent targeting of students from Muslim-majority countries. 'This is ultimately an attack on academia, on higher institutions.' In two student cases in southern California — one in the Inland Empire and another in Orange County — the government revoked the F-1 visa and SEVIS accounts in late March and early April, according to two separate lawsuits against DHS filed in tandem on Saturday in federal court in the Central District of California. Both students are from predominantly Muslim countries, the lawsuits said, and both had not participated in any protests related to Palestine or other political issues. The students are identified only as 'Student Doe #1' and 'Student Doe #2,' out of fear of possible retaliation from the government. Last month, ICE began to seek the arrest of student activist and Cornell graduate student Momodou Taal after he sued the Trump administration. Unlike in the case of Liu, the government provided the two students with a basis for the revocations. DHS accused each student of violating two provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act: failure to maintain status and the so-called 'adverse foreign policy' provision, court documents said. Failure to maintain status means a student no longer has the ability to remain within the U.S. to finish their studies and may leave them vulnerable for deportation. The adverse foreign policy provision — essentially a claim that the immigrant's continued residence in the U.S. would harm American foreign policy aims — was also cited in the high-profile immigration cases of Khalil, Rümeysa Öztürk, and Badar Khan Suri, who were vocal in the Palestine solidarity movement. Also similar to other known cases, the government did not provide specific evidence to back its claims. It 'appears to be designed to coerce students, including Plaintiff, into abandoning their studies and 'self-deporting' despite not violating their status.' The Inland Empire student had 'a minor misdemeanor non-alcohol related driving conviction,' while the Orange County student had 'a minor speeding ticket and a misdemeanor alcohol related driving conviction,' court documents said. Even so, attorneys said such minor misdemeanors and infractions that are nonviolent and do not carry a potential sentence of more than one year are not reasonable grounds to revoke a student's visa or student status under SEVIS. The lawsuits say the government's policy 'appears to be designed to coerce students, including Plaintiff, into abandoning their studies and 'self-deporting' despite not violating their status.' Stacy Tolchin, a Pasadena-based immigration attorney representing the two California students said her firm took on at least 20 new cases in the past week alone, all of which involve students who have seen their visas and SEVIS accounts terminated. The majority of the students she has taken on as clients have been from Muslim-majority and 'non-white' countries, she said, adding that she has not seen or heard of cases involving international students from Europe. 'This is ultimately an attack on academia, on higher institutions — I think it's race-based,' Tolchin said. Sinodis — who is on Khalil's legal team and whose firm, Van Der Hout, is preparing to represent four other students — said he has also noticed a specific focus on students from predominantly Muslim countries, or cases in which the student isn't from a non-Muslim majority country but is Muslim themself. Like Tolchin, he has not seen any cases of students from Europe, or even Australia or South Africa. Most of his clients have been from the Middle East, he said, with some from Muslim-majority African countries. He said he and other attorneys have referred to the Trump administration's attacks as 'a shadow travel ban,' a reference to the first Trump administration's ban on U.S. travel for citizens of certain Muslim-majority countries. The current administration is expected to roll out a similar ban. 'There seems to be consensus that this is essentially like a shadow travel ban that's being enforced via the revocation of these student SEVIS accounts and the revocation of the F-1 visas,' Sinodis said. His client, who is a former international student also from a predominantly Muslim country, had their SEVIS account terminated in late March without explanation beyond the government claiming they had failed to maintain their legal status and mentioned a criminal background check, according to a new lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco. The student had one previous 'low-level' misdemeanor arrest and conviction, which the student had disclosed to DHS when applying for a student visa, Sinodis said, adding that DHS had granted immigration accommodations for them in the past. The student, known in the complaint as 'John Doe' due to fear of government retaliation and being blacklisted by 'third parties,' had graduated in 2023 and had been authorized to work under the supervision of the Northern California school where they graduated. 'So it's insane now that ICE is turning around and saying that they can cancel his SEVIS for the same conduct that they've known about,' he said. His client's lawsuit also seeks the return of his SEVIS account and protection from ICE detention or transfer out of his Northern California jurisdiction. Sinodis said he sees Trump's broadening attack against students as in line with his 'xenophobic' attacks on immigrants across the U.S. Since taking office in January, Trump's administration has manufactured immigrant crime narratives and defied court orders in his policy of mass arrest and deportation, which has seen hundreds imprisoned in El Salvador without due process. Despite Trump's defiance, Sinodis said he has been encouraged by a vast network of immigration attorneys coordinating in defense of immigrants in court. 'This is just further evidence that the Trump administration is going to continue trying to find ways to discriminate against immigrants — what we've seen in the last two months is, every week or so, there's a new tactic unveiled,' Sinodis said, 'and what's encouraging is that the immigration bar is really coordinated in fighting back and litigating this unlawful conduct.'
Axios
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Exclusive: Trump's "pro-Hamas" purge could block foreign students from colleges
The Trump administration is discussing plans to try to block certain colleges from having any foreign students if it decides too many are "pro-Hamas," senior Justice and State Department officials tell Axios. Why it matters: The effort — which could include grand jury subpoenas —marks another escalation of Trump's aggressive crackdown on immigration and antisemitism that civil libertarians say stifles campus speech and has led to several lawsuits. Zoom in: The idea of prohibiting colleges from enrolling any student visa-holders grew out of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's " Catch and Revoke" program, which now is focusing on students who protested against the war in Gaza. A senior State Department official called the demonstrators it's targeting "Hamasniks" — people the government claims have shown support for the terror group. More than 300 foreign students have had their student visas revoked in the three weeks "Catch and Revoke" has been in operation, the official said. There are 1.5 million student visa-holders nationwide. "Everyone is fair game," the official said. At the heart of the plan is the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which certifies schools to accept student visa-holders. Institutions have been decertified in the past if the government determines they have too many student-visa holders who are using the education system as a ruse to live and work in the U.S., officials say. Now, the Trump administration is threatening to apply that decertification framework to the post- Oct. 7 demonstrations on college campuses. "Every institution that has foreign students ... will go through some sort of review," the official said. "You can have so many bad apples in one place that it leads to decertification of the school ... I don't think we're at that point yet. But it is not an empty threat." Columbia University and UCLA — both of which had controversial, disruptive pro-Palestinian protests last year — are among the schools mentioned the most often by administration officials. Columbia officials couldn't be reached for comment. "UCLA is committed to eradicating hate," a spokesperson for that university said, pointing to UCLA's new Initiative to Combat Antisemitism. What they're saying: Critics accuse the administration of trampling free speech and due process rights, and of unfairly conflating support for Palestinian rights with backing Hamas, the terror group that rules Gaza. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a nonpartisan free-speech group, said the concept of decertifying entire universities based on who is "pro-Hamas" is "a worrying escalation." "Deemed 'pro-Hamas' by whom? This kind of explicitly viewpoint-driven decision-making is ripe for abuse and risks arbitrary enforcement," FIRE legal director Will Creeley told Axios in a statement. Zoom out: The administration's zero-tolerance immigration enforcement has provoked a spate of lawsuits, some of which are likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. That's what the administration wants: to give the high court several opportunities to expand the executive branch's power to deport a noncitizen with little judicial review. A judge Tuesday temporarily blocked federal agents from detaining Yunseo Chung, a Columbia student who participated in pro-Palestinian protests. Her lawsuit argues that immigration enforcement can't "be used as a tool to punish noncitizen speakers who express political views disfavored by the current administration." The first major case challenging Rubio's right to revoke a green card was brought this month by Mahmoud Khalil, an organizer of the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia. The big picture: As the political parties realign, the GOP increasingly appeals to non-college voters and has clashed with academics and higher-education experts on cultural issues, including the Gaza war. Student visa holders are a lucrative revenue stream for colleges that can be choked off by the executive branch. "That's one of their biggest cash cows, foreign students. That's a meaningful source of revenue for them," a senior Justice Department official said. "What you're going to see in the not-too-distant future is the universities that we can show that were not doing anything to stop these demonstrations in support of Hamas — or encouraged enrollment by activists — ... we can stop approving student visas for them, and they can no longer admit foreign students," the official said. Catch up quick: The Trump administration's assault on colleges and that had significant pro-Palestine, anti-Israel or antisemitic activism spans both coasts. Last week, to escape losing $400 million in federal money, Columbia caved to administration demands to combat antisemitism and limit protests. On March 5, the DOJ's new antisemitism task force launched a civil rights investigation into the University of California system. On March 10, the Education Department sent letters to 60 universities warning them of possible civil rights enforcement actions concerning antisemitism. And on March 18, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest siding with Jewish students suing over antisemitic activity during protests at UCLA. What's next: The DOJ also is monitoring a new federal lawsuit from Columbia students accusing protest organizers of acting as a "propaganda arm" of Hamas.
Middle East Eye
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Use of AI to identify and deport pro-Palestinian students slammed online
The Trump administration's plan to use artificial intelligence to deport international students that are deemed "pro-Hamas" has received a wide range of reactions this week from across the political spectrum, stirring fears of what this could mean for free speech in the US. The US State Department reportedly plans to use AI to revoke the visas of foreign students who are deemed "pro-Hamas", Axios reported on Thursday, citing senior State Department officials. The 'Catch and Revoke' project, launched by Secretary of State Marco Rubio according to Axios, will see "AI-assisted reviews of tens of thousands of student visa holders' social media accounts [and] marks a dramatic escalation in the US government's policing of foreign nationals' conduct and speech'. Rubio took to X on Thursday to announce measures against students, saying the US has 'zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists. Violators of US law'. According to reports, the State Department has already revoked the visa of one unidentified student. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Those who support designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, threaten our national security. The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists. Violators of U.S. law — including international students — face visa denial or revocation, and… — Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 6, 2025 The reviews of social media accounts "are particularly looking for evidence of alleged terrorist sympathies" expressed after the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, officials told Axios. 'Catch and Revoke' is one of the many escalations that have occurred this week in stifling momentum for the pro-Palestine student movement, in addition to President Donald Trump's cancellation of a $400m grant to Columbia and the beginning of an investigation into the University of California over concerns surrounding antisemitism. Reactions to the announcement have received both criticism and praise, with many questions as to what this could mean for freedom of speech in general in the US. 'Going to get much worse' In response to the announcement, many say that "Catch and Revoke" goes against US law, and that internationals on student visas are protected by the First Amendment and they have the right to freedom of speech. "Reminder, Mr President, all people - regardless of immigration status - including students and faculty, have the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, no matter the subject matter. If news reports are true, "Catch and Revoke" is an awful idea and an attack on human rights," human rights organisation Amnesty International USA posted on X. Those that are in support of deporting international pro-Palestine student protestors argue that students that participated in encampments or sit-ins are not protected by the First Amendment. "Free speech allows people to protest outside as long as they are not blocking or harming anyone. However, free speech does not include preventing others from learning or causing harm. Coming to this country to study is a privilege, not a right," one person posted on X. Others who oppose "Catch and Revoke" have also pointed out that those who participate in pro-Palestine protests on campus - as well as students who have vocally criticised Israel online - should not automatically be deemed as sympathisers to Hamas. This is "catch and revoke" scheme is ludicrous. One can be pro-Palestine, against the genocide currently occurring in Gaza, and NOT be "pro-Hamas." The Trump administration refuses to see that differentiation. — Christa Mariner (@MarinerChrista) March 7, 2025 Palestinian-American academic Eman Abdelhadi took to X to call out those she believes gave the Trump administration permission to escalate the situation on pro-Palestine students to this extent. "Everyone-from Democrats to University admin-who helped perpetuate the lie that critique or protest of Israel was inherently antisemitic or constituted harassment of Jewish students, you handed the University to the Right on a golden platter". An anonymous user on X, who says they are an international student, says that the news of "Catch and Revoke" has made them even more fearful of protesting for Palestine. I was already nervous last semester taking part in protests for Palestine as an international student even after learning strategies from lawyers and law students friends. It's going to get so much worse. — كاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكا (@kookykarthik) March 5, 2025 Another point of contention for many online is the government's use of AI in identifying so-called 'pro-Hamas' students. The CIA-backed analytics firm being used for the project, Palantir, is infamous for being used by Israel to facilitate its targeting of Palestinians, and for its advanced capabilities in its war on Gaza. 'If you didn't know, Palantir is the company that generates 'kill lists' for Palestinians in Gaza for the IDF. Now, this same kind of 'contact tracing' tech is being employed in the U.S. for bad, or for 'good',' one person posted on X. 'If they can use this AI to go after Hamas sympathizers, they can use this to go after ANY ONE OF US, AT ANY TIME, FOR ANY REASON.' Another echoed the sentiment, saying that 'Catch and Revoke' is a 'beta test' for US citizens. Those that voted for Trump have also expressed frustration with the administration for investing this much energy into censoring criticism of Israel. "Why are we protecting Israel so much even under our first amendment rights of freedom of speech? I'm exhausted," a person who voted for Trump posted on X. "I didn't vote for this. I voted for corruption exposure and transparency."
