Hundreds of Student Visas Revoked in U.S. Amid Khalil Arrest Fallout — Fears Mount Over Immigration Rights

The Big Picture: Federal officials under President Donald Trump’s administration allege that many visa holders were affiliated with pro-Palestinian protests or violated undisclosed immigration laws. However, no charges have been filed in the majority of these cases. Some revocations were reportedly based on traffic offenses or administrative issues, while many others remain unexplained.

Khalil’s March 8 arrest marked the first major case under Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s new “Catch and Revoke” initiative — a policy now being linked to a broader crackdown on student immigrants.

Key Developments:

• At least 388 students from 85 schools in 34 states have lost their U.S. legal status.

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• Many institutions, including UMass Boston and Dartmouth, were not officially notified and only discovered status changes through internal audits of the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System).

• Even students with no protest history or criminal records were impacted, including a doctoral candidate at Dartmouth and an Emerson College undergraduate.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, Tammy Bruce, defended the actions, claiming visa revocations are routine and applied “appropriately” to protect national security. However, she declined to provide criteria for how such decisions are made.

University Response: Some schools, like UMass Boston, have publicly acknowledged the revocations, citing federal silence as problematic and commending internal offices for uncovering affected students’ status changes.

Why It Matters: These mass revocations have drawn criticism from human rights advocates and legal scholars, who argue that they undermine civil liberties, chill campus speech, and unfairly target Arab and Muslim students. The lack of due process and transparency in some cases has led to fear, confusion, and potential legal challenges.

Adding to the controversy, a former president of Costa Rica—known for his criticism of Trump—also had his U.S. visa revoked recently, further raising eyebrows about the administration’s global posture on dissent.

As student groups across campuses rally and legal groups prepare defenses, this unfolding saga underscores rising tensions at the intersection of immigration policy, political activism, and academic freedom under the Trump presidency.

Stay tuned to Newspot Nigeria for more updates on this developing story and its potential implications for Nigerian students in the U.S. and abroad.

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