The Trump administration has canceled more than a dozen international student visas at California campuses, including UCLA, UC San Diego and Stanford, university leaders, students and faculty at campuses confirmed to The Times.
At UCLA, the revocations hit at least eight international students, according to faculty groups and students. It’s unclear whether any students were detained by immigration authorities or why their visas were canceled. A UCLA spokesperson did not immediately confirm the number or reply to a request for more comment.
At UC San Diego, Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said in a campus message late Friday that five students had their visas revoked. He said the university received the notification “without warning.” Khosla said a sixth student was “detained at the border, denied entry and deported to their home country.”
“The federal government has not explained the reasons behind these terminations,” Khosla wrote. “The students have been notified and we are working directly with them to provide support.”
At Stanford, officials said four students and two people who recently graduated had their visas revoked. A university statement did not identify the reasons the students lost their visas or whether they faced arrests.
A University of California statement implied that students at other campuses have also had their visas revoked, but did not offer more details.
The statement said UC is “aware that international students across several of our campuses have been impacted by recent SEVIS terminations,” referring to the U.S. government’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System database. “This is a fluid situation, and we continue to monitor and assess its implications for the UC community and the people affected. We are committed to doing what we can to support all members of our community as they exercise their rights under the law. In doing that, the university will continue to follow all applicable state and federal laws.”
Spokespeople for the UC Office of the President, the central administrative operation that works with all campuses and handles federal government relations, did not immediately reply to a request for more details.
The actions are part of mass visa cancellations that appear to have unfolded at campuses across the country on Friday and caught school administrators by surprise. Other campuses to announce visa revocations include the University of Kentucky, University of Oregon and Ohio State University. While actions by the Trump administration to cancel student visas and arrest students last month targeted pro-Palestinian activists, the reasons for these changes were unclear.
Student government leaders at UCLA acknowledged campus concerns over immigration status in a joint statement issued late Friday.
“We understand these are deeply uncertain times… To every international student reading this: You belong here. Your presence at UCLA makes this campus stronger, richer, and more beautiful. Our offices will continue to stand, speak, and advocate for you — loudly and unapologetically,” said the statement from Undergraduate Student Assn. Council President Adam Tfayli and International Student Representative Syed Tamim Ahmad.
A representative for Students for Justice in Palestine at UC San Diego said the organization was attempting to get more information about those affected to determine whether any were student protesters.
Last month, the Trump administration began revoking student visas at high-profile campuses, including Columbia, Cornell, George Washington, Tufts and other universities where it alleged that the students affected were antisemitic and aligned with terrorists because of their pro-Palestinian writings or protests.
The administration accused the students of supporting Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization, and says they are threats to national security and U.S. foreign policy. The students argue that their free speech rights in support of Palestinians are being trampled.
The cases, some of which led to immigration arrests, are being fought in federal courts. Several students are being held at immigration detention facilities.
The administration has also started canceling visas for students who were not involved in pro-Palestinian protest but had other violations on their records. For example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said this week that the visa of a University of Minnesota student was revoked in March because of a 2023 drunk driving incident in which he pleaded guilty.
Speaking March 27 during a visit to Guyana, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. had at that point revoked 300 visas and would continue its evaluations.
“We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” Rubio said, referring to student protesters. “I hope at some point we run out because we have gotten rid of all of them, but we’re looking every day for these lunatics that are tearing things up.”
Rubio said the government canceled “primarily student visas” and “some visitors visas.” The group included cases “unrelated to any protests” that have to do with “potential criminal activity.”
At many campuses in the U.S., including at UC San Diego and Stanford, the Trump administration did not communicate the visa changes to universities. Instead, the cancellations were discovered while university officials checked SEVIS, a student database under the Department of Homeland Security that lists international student statuses.
International students typically have two certifications that allow them to come to the the U.S. and study. Student visas give individuals permission to enter the U.S. while “student status” confirms that a person is enrolled in classes and abiding by other restrictions, such as limitations on employment. Visas are granted and revoked by the Department of State. Student status is maintained in SEVIS.
Under previous administrations, students who had entry visas canceled were typically allowed to stay in the U.S. legally to study. If they left the U.S. and wanted to return, they would have to renew their visas. The current actions by the Trump administration appear to be changing both visa and student status.
Schools with large international populations usually have campus centers devoted to aiding students and professors with visas, housing and other areas, including maintaining SEVIS.
The Times reached out this week to SEVIS administrators at all UC campuses, USC, Stanford and other schools with large international populations or a history of large pro-Palestinian protests to inquire about student visa issues. The officials did not respond to requests, declined to speak or directed The Times to university spokespeople.
“At the moment, we are continuing to assess ongoing developments,” said a response Wednesday from UC David spokesman Bill Kisliuk.
