The speed and reach of the Trump administration’s efforts to deport international students — sometimes over minor infractions or political activity — has sparked confusion, questions and fear on college campuses, experts say.
Adding to the unease, the Department of Homeland Security on May 22 revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students.
DHS said in a statement that the Ivy League school created an unsafe environment by allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators,” including many foreign students, to harass and assault Jewish students and others. As a result, nearly 6,800 current international students who attend the Ivy League school must transfer to other universities or lose their legal status, DHS announced.
Also in the statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Harvard of “coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”
Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton called the action “unlawful” and said the school will offer guidance to international students. “This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”
The school filed a lawsuit the next day and hours later, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration’s action.
Latest Developments in the Student Visa Crisis
Noem said DHS canceled Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification because the school did not comply with an April 16 letter demanding “detailed records on Harvard’s foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities” by April 30 or immediately lose certification.
The cancelation bars Harvard from accepting international students for the 2025-2026 academic year, but would be reversed if the school gives the DHS the requested records within 72 hours. DHS’ demand includes disciplinary records and five years of video and audio footage of protests involving international students.
The Trump administration’s focus on protests stems from demonstrations on U.S. college campuses after Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group, launched a deadly attack in Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, igniting the war in Gaza. Some pro-Palestine demonstrations on campuses became violent, with complaints from Jewish students of being the targets of antisemitism.
Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump promised visa cancellations and deportations, and his administration has taken action against international students it says participated in intimidation, violence or other misconduct.
The case of Rumeysa Ozturk was among the first to draw international attention, after bystander video showed the Tufts University doctoral student from Turkey being arrested by masked, plainclothes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on a Massachusetts sidewalk in March. She spent 45 days in a Louisiana immigration detention center.
Federal Judge William K. Sessions ruled Ozturk was unlawfully arrested for co-authoring a 2024 opinion article criticizing Tufts’ response to the war, adding that her detention could “potentially chill the speech of millions and millions” of noncitizens.
Homeland Security claimed Ozturk “engaged in activities in support of Hamas,” but Sessions said the government had provided no supporting evidence and ordered her release on bail.
“Any international student who saw that video would understandably be very afraid that they could be next if they say something that the government disagrees with, or they have any minor thing in their records that the government could use as a pretext to go after them,” says Noor Zafar, senior staff attorney for the Immigrants’ Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents Ozturk.
More than 1 million international students are studying at U.S. colleges, according to March 2025 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System records. Roughly 3,000 had their visas revoked, the DHS said in late April, after the department ran the names of student visa-holders through an FBI-run database. Many experts called the action unprecedented and unlawful.
ICE reinstated the visa statuses of many affected students in April, and on May 22 a federal judge issued a nationwide injunction that blocks the Trump administration from terminating students’ legal status while a challenge to previous terminations proceeds.
The Secretary of State has the power to refuse to admit foreign citizens or to order their removal if they engage in activities that may harm U.S. foreign policy or support what are deemed as terrorist organizations, such as Hamas. However, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White wrote in his order that Trump administration officials “do not suggest that these individuals pose an immediate safety threat or that they pose a threat to national security.”
Amidst ongoing uncertainty, experts say students should know their rights and who to contact for issues involving ICE or student visas. Here’s their advice.
[ICE on Campus: What You Need To Know]
Be Vigilant About Visa Status and Rules
International students are an easy target for the Trump administration’s mass deportation plan, says LaToya McBean Pompy, a New York-based immigration lawyer.
The administration maintains its plan is to deport illegal immigrants, and until the nationwide injunction, it was revoking student visas and terminating records in SEVIS — often with little or no notice. SEVIS also allows federal agents to easily identify students with expired F-1 or J-1 visa status or any legal record, and provides a student’s address and school.
“It’s easy to round them up and cancel their status and tell them, ‘You need to leave the United States right away. You no longer have status,'” without giving due process rights, McBean Pompy says.
Check your SEVIS record and pay attention to your visa dates. If you complete your program or drop out and stay in the U.S., or if you don’t renew your visa on time, ICE can detain you and start deportation proceedings, McBean Pompy says. Experts say it’s imperative to follow every regulation and avoid procrastinating.
“We’re not in an environment where it’s OK to be sloppy about that anymore,” says Clay Harmon, executive director of the Association of International Enrollment Management. “It’s not that it’s a new responsibility, but I would implore (students) to have a heightened level of attention to that.”
Visa renewal lapses or terminated records may accrue days of “unlawful presence” that stay on your record, typically can’t be appealed and may prevent re-entry, experts say.
If you anticipate changing your address or academic program, immediately update your SEVIS records and contact your designated school official, McBean Pompy says.
There are important visa requirements for traveling outside the country, so consult your DSO before traveling. Some colleges, including University of California, Berkeley and Duke University in North Carolina, have advised their international students not to travel abroad this summer, fearing they may not be allowed re-entry.
Follow Laws, Including Traffic Laws
Felipe Zapata Velásquez, a 27-year-old University of Florida student from Colombia, was deported after being arrested in April by local police for driving with a suspended license for a second time. And Priya Saxena, an Indian doctoral student at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, had her visa revoked in April over a 2021 traffic infraction involving failure to stop for an emergency vehicle.
Because traffic incidents can lead to contact with law enforcement, international students should abide by all road and vehicle rules, and keep their registration and license updated and easily accessible. Driving without a valid license can lead to detention and deportation even for minor offenses, McBean Pompy says.
If you are pulled over, “ask if the officer is from the police department or immigration,” the National Immigrant Justice Center advises. “Immigration officers often identify themselves as ‘police,’ but they are not police. Ask if they are from (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP).”
If they are immigration officers and you have lawful status, show your documentation. If you don’t have legal status, you don’t have to discuss your status with police, immigration or other officials, NIJC advises.
Experts recommend using public transportation to avoid such situations.
[Read: International Student Services at U.S. Colleges: What to Know]
Carry Documentation
Documentation is critical, McBean Pompy says. Carry your immigration documents everywhere, on and off campus, whether that’s a passport, green card, work permit, student visa approval notice or a receipt for pending immigration application.
Make an Emergency Plan
Memorize the phone numbers of your emergency contacts, including an immigration attorney. Tell loved ones that if you are detained, they should use ICE’s detainee locator to find you, the NIJC advises.
Know Your Rights and Seek Legal Advice
At all times, international students have due process rights, the right to remain silent, the right to consult an attorney and the right to appear before an immigration judge.
If you’re detained by ICE, never sign paperwork without speaking to an immigration attorney, McBean Pompy says. If you’re unsure of your rights, an immigration lawyer can advise you and tailor suggestions to your immigration history or anything in your background that could form the basis for an arrest, Zafar says.
Exercise Caution on Social Media
International students in the U.S. are protected by the First Amendment. However, McBean Pompy warns that the federal government is actively reviewing social media content for antisemitic and “anti-American” language — though the latter is yet to be fully defined, she says.
Students should remember that they’re guests in the U.S. and that some actions — potentially including protests — could lead to removal.
“If they engage in any activities that could be deemed as disruptive or a revolt, or anything that this government considers to be a serious threat, I think they should take second thought” in light of increased monitoring, she says.
Ask Agents to Identify Themselves
If unidentified agents approach you, ask to see their badge or other identification, Zafar advises.
Students “should comply with what the agent is telling them, but immediately ask to speak with their lawyers,” she says. It’s important to plan ahead with your lawyer “so that if anything goes wrong, your lawyer knows immediately what to be doing,” she adds.
Stay calm and don’t run, argue, resist or fight, “even if you believe your rights are being violated or you are being treated unfairly,” NIJC advises. While you have the right to remain silent, never lie about your status or provide false documents.
[Getting a U.S. Student Visa: What International Students Should Know]
Seek Counsel if Your SEVIS Record Was Terminated
You are entitled to prior notification, usually by your school, if your SEVIS record is terminated for any reason. If your records were unlawfully terminated by ICE, McBean Pompy says, immediately consult an immigration lawyer to seek an injunction in federal court.
Resources
Resources for advice and advocacy include:
— American Civil Liberties Union
— American Immigration Lawyers Association
— Center for Constitutional Rights
— National Immigrant Justice Center
— National Immigration Law Center
— National Immigration Legal Services Directory
— Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration
The Outlook for International Students
International students represent “a core part of our education in the U.S.” and their presence helps American students “compete in a globally competitive world,” says Miriam Feldblum, executive director of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. They also often stay to work, conduct research or start companies.
But she expects a decline in international student enrollment. “What these actions are saying to those who are considering the U.S. is that things are unpredictable, uncertain and volatile — and that’s not good for international education.”
Still, experts encourage international students to not lose hope, pointing to numerous recent court rulings in favor of students. And given that the number of student visas revoked is less than 0.3%, the average international student is unlikely to be deported.
“America is still a good place to study, learn and grow and contribute to your field,” McBean Pompy says. “Right now we’re going through a little rough patch. … But all of that is being litigated and being played out before us.”
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What International Students in the U.S. Need To Know: Risks, Rights and Resources originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/23/25: This story was published and has been updated with new information.
