The move follows weeks of legal challenges and restraining orders from judges who found the mass visa cancellations to be clearly unlawful.
It's still unclear how this decision affects Florida college students whose visas were revoked or terminated. At least one student at the University of Florida (UF) self-deported to his native Colombia last month after his student visa status was terminated. The University of Central Florida (UCF) also says that one of its students was recently detained by immigration authorities; the student's status and whereabouts remain unknown.
The original story follows below.
Over the past few weeks, the Trump administration has quietly changed the legal status of hundreds of students nationwide.
International students at dozens of universities have recently had their F-1 visas — which permit them to live and study in the United States — revoked, or their F-1 student status terminated by the U.S. government, often without clear explanations. As of Friday, more than 1,300 students and recent graduates have had their legal status altered by the U.S. Department of State in some way, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Although neither university nor government officials have clearly explained how or why students are being targeted, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to deport international students for taking part in protests against the war in Gaza.
As a result, immigration officials have arrested international students for their involvement in pro-Palestinian activism (including the high-profile case of recent Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil). However, students have also been arrested over legal violations, such as speeding or driving under the influence, which often occurred years earlier.
When a student's F-1 status is terminated from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), there's no longer a record of their lawful presence in the country — meaning they're subject to immediate deportation.
Currently, the federal government has revoked the visas or terminated the legal status of at least 62 college students and recent graduates across Florida.
Using news reports and correspondence with universities, New Times has compiled a list of Florida universities where students have lost their visas.
Florida International University (FIU)
Total # Impacted: 18 studentsDetails: Their visa statuses were terminated. University spokesperson Madeline Baró told New Times that 11 are current students, and seven are recent graduates in Optional Practical Training (OPT), during which the government permits students with F-1 status to receive training to complement their field of study.
University of Florida (UF)
Total # Impacted: Eight students Details: Their visas were revoked.
Stetson University
Total # Impacted: One studentDetails: Their visa was terminated.
Florida Atlantic University (FAU)
Total # Impacted: Six students Details: Their visa statuses were terminated.
University of South Florida (USF)
Total # Impacted: N/ADetails: USF spokesperson Althea Johnson told the New Times that "some" students and recent graduates have "experienced a change in their visa status." However, despite repeated requests, she declined to provide the exact number of affected individuals.
Florida State University (FSU)
Total # Impacted: Three studentsDetails: Their visas were revoked.
University of North Florida (UNF)
Total # Impacted: Two recent graduatesDetails: Their visas were revoked and terminated.
Florida A&M University (FAMU)
Total # Impacted: One studentDetails: Their visa was revoked.
University of Central Florida (UCF)
Total # Impacted: 15 students (one of whom was reportedly detained by ICE). Details: Their visa statuses were terminated.
University of Miami (UM)
Total # Impacted: At least eight, according to The Miami Hurricane. Details: Their visas were revoked.
Note: Florida Polytechnic University, University of Tampa, Nova Southeastern University, and New College of Florida have not responded to New Times’ inquiry about student visas.
Florida Gulf Coast University and the University of West Florida confirmed they have no cases of students or recent graduates having their visas revoked or terminated by the federal government.
