Report: At Least 8 University of Miami Student Visas Revoked

Several international students at the University of Miami (UM) have had their visas revoked, according to the Miami Hurricane.

Amid the Trump administration's aggressive nationwide immigration crackdown — which has recently extended to college campuses, affecting students' ability to remain in the U.S. for their studies — eight students at the University of Miami have lost their visas, multiple sources told the university's student newspaper.

Sources say that the number is likely higher, according to the Hurricane.

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 United States government, often without clear explanations. Currently, more than 1,700 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.

While U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has pledged to deport international students over their involvement in pro-Palestine protests, neither universities nor the government have clarified how or why students are being targeted.

In recent weeks, immigration officials have arrested students for pro-Palestinian activism, most notably Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil, as well as for past legal violations like DUI or speeding.

As previously reported by New Times, the government has stripped at least 47 Florida college students and recent graduates of their visas, at universities including Florida International University (FIU), University of Florida (UF), and Stetson University.

FIU, where 18 students recently had their F-1 visa status terminated, currently leads the state in student visa revocations and terminations. FIU spokesperson Madeline Baró said the school wasn't aware of any students who lost their visas in connection with protests.

When a student's F-1 status is terminated from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), there is no longer a record of their lawful presence in the country — meaning they are subject to immediate deportation.

UM is one of several universities that haven't responded to the New Times' recent inquiries about student visa revocations. (Important note: As a private university, UM isn't legally obligated to respond to reporters the same way as public universities, as it isn't subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) laws.)

According to the Hurricane, one faculty member and 58 "administrators" have also been "impacted by the recent immigration actions." The paper said that while limited information was provided, most administrators (AKA non-faculty staff) appear to have lost their temporary protected status as a part of the Trump administration's attempts to roll back Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for some countries.

UM didn't respond to a request to comment on this story.