The Johns Hopkins University said Tuesday that “approximately a dozen” international students had their visas to study in the United States revoked, the first university in Maryland to publicly acknowledge revocations by the federal government with little warning or explanation that have jolted colleges around the country.
The university said the visa cancellations affect graduate students and recent graduates, who lose their ability to legally stay in the country. Hopkins, which did not say when the visas were canceled, said it did not receive any information on what led to the action by the Trump administration, which has sought to crack down on students and visitors over their views on foreign policy or criminal activities. The school said it has “no indication that the revocations are associated with free expression activities on campus.”
In the last week alone, the Department of Homeland Security has revoked the visas of students studying at the University of Michigan, Harvard University and Duke University, among others, while some were also detained. By Tuesday afternoon, two University of Maryland campuses had been added to the list.
A Hopkins spokesperson said the university was “not aware” of any arrests or detentions of the students.
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Fifteen percent of Hopkins’ first-year class is made up of international students, according to the university, representing 83 countries.
International students are typically not allowed to work while studying and must keep their grades up to what their program deems good academic standing. They can lose their visas if they don’t meet those conditions or are considered a danger to the public.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month he has signed letters daily to revoke student and visitor visas since taking office in January, saying, “If they’re taking activities that are counter to our foreign, to our national interest, to our foreign policy, we’ll revoke the visa.” Rubio also ordered diplomats overseas to scour the social media of students applying for visas to identify those who have criticized the United States and Israel.
“We are not going to be importing activists into the United States,” Rubio told reporters last month.
Students and activists gathered at Hopkins last week to unveil a petition they sent to state lawmakers, asking for protection from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
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A memo shared by Hopkins with faculty last month advised them not to “intervene” with law enforcement officials if they came to campus to detain a student, similar to policies recommended by the American Civil Liberties Union. Faculty were also told not to hide students or help them leave campus if federal law enforcement is seeking them.
Most international students have F-1 visas, which they can receive with proof of enrollment in a college academic program approved by ICE.
Typically, F-1 visas last for the duration of a student’s college education and can be extended if the path to graduation takes longer than planned.
Those with student visas are temporarily afforded the same rights as American citizens.
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