UCLA students had visas revoked by US government, chancellor says

Trump cancels international student visas

Students at UCLA, UC San Diego, and Stanford were affected.

LOS ANGELES - UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk announced that the U.S. government has revoked the visas of six current and six former students participating in a training program, raising concerns within the UCLA community as calls for action and support for affected students grow.

What we know:

The visa revocations occurred following a routine audit of SEVIS records, with terminations attributed to violations of visa program terms, Frenk said in a letter sent to the UCLA community on Sunday.

"The termination notices indicate that all terminations were due to violations of the terms of the individuals’ visa programs. At this time, UCLA is not aware of any federal law enforcement activity on campus related to these terminations," he wrote.

UCLA student visas revoked by US government

UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk announced that the U.S. government revoked the visas of six current and six former students.

The backstory:

The revocations follow an executive order by President Donald Trump threatening visa revocations for students involved in pro-Palestinian protests amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. 

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the revocation of 300 international student visas, affecting several California schools, including UCLA.

What they're saying:

The Task Force on Anti-Palestinian, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Muslim Racism, co-chaired by Gaye Theresa Johnson and Sherene Razack, expressed alarm over UCLA's response to the visa revocations. 

They urged the administration to take protective measures for affected students and challenge the Department of Homeland Security's actions.

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"We write as the Task Force on Anti-Palestinian, Anti-Arab, and Anti- Muslim Racism to express our growing alarm regarding UCLA's response to the recent revocation of visas held by nine UCLA international students. These revocations follow similar and more extreme actions nation-wide, such as termination of legal status for international students and scholars on visas, and detention and deportation of international students without warning. Students who have spoken in support of Palestinian human rights have been specifically targeted, as have students from countries that the Federal government has deemed to be adversaries of the United States," the letter states.

"... With no comment or instruction from the UCLA administration thus far, there is growing concern that students are unprotected."

What's next:

Frenk advised UCLA students to visit online resources such as:

• UCLA’s Undocumented Student Program
• UC Immigrant Services Legal Center
• UCLA’s Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars

The chancellor said he would continue to meet with UC President Michael Drake and other UC chancellors to prepare for and respond to any federal policy changes. He said he is also in constant contact with senior campus leaders. 

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Frenk assured the community that the administration is "committed to supporting our students as we abide by the law.