Revoked visas and deported international students for pro-Palestine activism
March 15, 2025
Multiple Guardrails
Founders' Principles Violated
Guardrails Violated
Why Level 3?
Multiple guardrails bypassed: First Amendment, due process, constitutional rights. Measurable harm to freedom of speech and academic freedom. Selective enforcement based on political views violates equal protection. Courts ruled actions ruled unconstitutional by courts.
What Happened
Context
ICE and State Department began revoking F-1 student visas and deporting international students who participated in pro-Palestine protests or expressed support for Palestine, starting in March 2025. Students were detained and deported without proper due process hearings.
Action Taken
ICE and State Department began revoking F-1 student visas and deporting international students who participated in pro-Palestine protests or expressed support for Palestine, starting March 2025. Students including Rümeysa Öztürk (Turkish student at Tufts) and Mahmoud Khalil (activist at Columbia) were arrested, detained, and deported without proper due process hearings. Visa revocations were based on political expression and activism rather than visa violations. Multiple lawsuits filed challenging the revocations as violations of First Amendment rights.
In His Own Words
"Students who engage in anti-government activities will face consequences."
"We will not tolerate foreign nationals using their visas for political purposes."
"Visa holders must respect American values."
What's Wrong
Visa revocations based on political expression and activism violate First Amendment protections. Students with valid F-1 visas were deported without proper due process hearings. Selective enforcement based on political views raises equal protection concerns. Courts ruled in multiple cases that the government lacked proper legal basis for visa revocations.
Impact
Constitutional: Violation of First Amendment rights through visa revocations based on political expression. Legal: Multiple lawsuits filed, courts ruled in favor of students. Institutional: Chilling effect on student activism and political expression. Operational: Dozens of students affected, creating fear and uncertainty among international student community.
Primary Sources
- → https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detention_of_R%C3%BCmeysa_%C3%96zt%C3%BCrk
- → https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detention_of_Mahmoud_Khalil
- → https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/27/state-department-visas-pro-palestine-protesters
- → https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/04/25/international-students-records-visa-trump-dhs-sevis/