Hundreds of international students studying in the United States have been told to leave the country after their F-1 student visas were revoked.
The move, reportedly linked to campus activism, has led to widespread concern, with some students being targeted simply for sharing or liking ‘anti-national’ posts on social media.
Indian students are among those affected by the crackdown, according to The Times of India, which cited immigration lawyers confirming the development.
The enforcement action follows an announcement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the cancellation of visas for students accused of engaging in activities deemed harmful to national interests.
Speaking at a press conference in Guyana on Thursday, Rubio stated that the number of revoked visas could exceed 300 and that the process was ongoing. He described it as a daily effort to identify individuals involved in what he called disruptive activities.
“It might be more than 300 at this point. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” Rubio said. He further justified the move by asserting that every nation has the right to decide who can enter and stay.
On his return flight to Washington, Rubio confirmed that the revoked visas included both student (F-1) and visitor visas. He personally approved each cancellation and suggested that the effort would continue until all such individuals were expelled.
“At some point, I hope we run out because we’ve gotten rid of all of them, but we’re looking every day for these lunatics that are tearing things up,” he added.
The US government has launched an AI-powered tool called “Catch and Revoke” to monitor and identify students allegedly supporting Hamas or other designated terrorist organisations.
The Department of State (DOS) is now closely examining all new student visa applications, including F (academic study), M (vocational study), and J (exchange programme) visas. Applicants found guilty of supporting such causes are likely to be denied entry into the country.
Students affected by the visa revocation received an official email from the US Department of State, warning them of serious consequences if they failed to leave the country voluntarily.
The message instructed them to use the CBP Home App, a system introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration on 10 March, to arrange their departure.
According to the local media, the email read:
“On behalf of the United States Department of State, the Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Office hereby informs you that additional information became available after your visa was issued. As a result, your F-1 visa with expiration date XXXXX was revoked in accordance with Section 221(i) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended.”
The message further stated that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had been notified and that students’ designated school officials might also be informed of the revocation.
If students failed to comply, the email warned, they could face detention, deportation, and fines. Moreover, deportation could occur at short notice, leaving individuals with little time to collect their belongings or settle affairs before being removed from the US.
The email added:
“If you intend to travel to the United States in the future, you must apply for another US visa, and a determination on your eligibility for a visa will be made at that time.”
In a separate statement, Rubio defended the move, saying that holding a visa was a privilege, not an entitlement.
“I don’t know when we’ve got it in our head that a visa is some sort of birthright. It is not,” he said in an interview with CBS News’s Face The Nation.
“It is a visitor into our country, and if you violate the terms of your visitation, you are going to leave.”
