“Approximately a dozen” international students at the Johns Hopkins University had their visas to study in the United States revoked, university officials said in a statement Tuesday morning, joining schools across the country that have reported students being given little warning that their visas are suddenly invalid.
“We have received no information about the specific basis for the revocations, and we have no indication that the revocations are associated with free expression activities on campus,” said a spokesperson for Hopkins.
The spokesperson said the university was “not aware” of any arrests or detentions of the students. The visa revocations affect graduate students and recent graduates, according to the university’s statement, though it did not specify when the visas were revoked.
Hopkins is the first Maryland university to announce publicly that its students have had their visas revoked. A growing number of campuses across the country have reported that their students have been given scant warning that their visas are now invalid, and some have been detained.
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In the last week alone, the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security has revoked the visas of students studying at University of Michigan, Harvard University and Duke University, among others.
Fifteen percent of Hopkins’ first-year class is made up of international students, according to the university, representing 83 countries.
As the visa sponsor, Hopkins was responsible for informing the students that their visas were terminated, according to a university spokesperson. Leadership is also providing “a range of support services” to the students, through the university’s office of international services, academic advising and health and wellbeing.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month he has signed letters daily since taking office in January to revoke student visas. 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.
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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.
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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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.
About the Education Hub
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