The Trump administration’s broad campaign has resulted in the revocation of the visas of at least 11 international students from Stony Brook University and scores of additional students at other SUNY institutions, the school confirmed.
Officials at Stony Brook have so far declined to provide any details on the students or to confirm whether any of them took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations that resulted in the cancellation of other students’ visas.
More than 3,800 international students were enrolled at Long Island University this year, and the university said it is collaborating with the state and affected students to offer legal support and advice to those impacted.
“We are monitoring this evolving situation and working with campuses to ensure our students know their rights,” Holly Liapis, a SUNY spokesperson stated.
“Stony Brook University is monitoring this evolving situation closely and working with SUNY and our state partners to ensure affected students know their rights, are connected with the New York State Office for New Americans for legal support, and understand their options to continue their education,” according to the school.
21 additional students have had their visa statuses altered over the past several weeks throughout the SUNY system, while other Long Island institutions like SUNY Old Westbury and Hofstra University stated they were not aware of any visa-related problems on their campuses.
It’s unclear, though, how many were outright removed and whether they were related to the protests on campus.
Officials at the University of Buffalo said in a statement this week that nine recent graduates and four current students had their visas revoked.
A spokeswoman for Fordham University noted that two of its students, who they determined had no connection to any campus protests, also had their visas revoked, while CUNY reported that 17 international students had their visa status changed.
With Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring in March that he had already cancelled over 300 student visas, some of which he claimed were because of the students’ anti-Israel activities, the Trump administration has started cracking down on foreign students.
During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Rubio declared, “No one is entitled to a student visa.”
“If you come to this country as a student, we expect you to go to class and study and get a degree. If you come here to vandalize a library, take over a campus, and do all kinds of crazy things, we’re going to get rid of these people,” Rubio continued.
Manisha Desai, a former foreign student and current professor at Stony Brook, told Newsday that these revocations cause more harm than good, explaining how the purge is having a negative impact and making international students who merely want to learn feel “fear.”
“It’s not good for anybody’s mental health, much less for doing the work you’re here to do — to learn, to contribute,” Desai reportedly stated.
Source: NY Post
