Several University of Miami students have had their visas revoked, according to multiple reliable sources who asked not to be identified, as the Trump administration moves to aggressively enforce immigration laws.
According to the source, eight students have lost their visas, but other sources have indicated the number might now be higher.
One faculty member and 58 “administrators” have also been impacted by the recent immigration actions. Limited information was provided, though most of the administrators, what we understand to be staff that is non-faculty, appear to have lost their temporary protected status as a part of Trump administration’s attempt to rollback TPS for some countries.
The University has not confirmed these numbers despite multiple requests for comment.
The Miami Hurricane has not been able to identify any of those students or staff, nor whether the affected are undergraduates, graduates or in the middle of their optional practical training (OPT) work authorization period.
The news has taken a toll on the UM community, particularly the international students who make up more than 10% of the student body.
“I think the scary part is that for a lot of people deportations mean they go back to corrupt places,” an international student who requested to not be identified told TMH. “For me, because I have a home and family to go back to, the scary part is the unfairness of what could happen. The unfairness of you studying and working your ass off and not receiving a degree. The unfairness of being a ‘good person,’ not committing crimes and being treated like a criminal.”
A professor at UM on a visa, who also asked to not be identified, says the fear of deportation seeps into every aspect of their life.
“It is a struggle to concentrate on teaching or prepping or doing the things that I have to do every day, and that is me as an adult,” the professor said. “It’s like this fake sense of safety. And it is also weird to have a folder with a whole bunch of documents in it, but then also knowing that it is just a matter of one encounter with the wrong person who just wants to upend your life randomly, and then you’re done. We basically have very little recourse.”
A database maintained by Inside Higher Ed reports that there have been more than 1,600 reported visa revocations by the U.S. Department of State over the past month. The wave of action against international students is part of Secretary of State and UM Law alumnus Marco Rubio’s effort to punish international students involved in campus protests, mostly in support of the Palestinian cause.
“We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” Rubio said in a news conference on March 27.
The Department of Homeland Security is said to be using AI-powered tools to scan international students’ social media for antisemitic or anti-Israel comments that may qualify them for a visa cancellation.
What started as an effort to eliminate antisemitism on campuses has expanded in the past weeks.
In an interview on the Ben Shapiro Show on Thursday, April 17, Rubio said that in addition to the State Department revocations, the Department of Homeland Security is carrying out its own visa cancellations based on criminal records.
“If you commit a crime while you’re in the U.S., that’s an automatic ground for revoking your visa. And no one was ever doing it. They weren’t doing it. They weren’t cross-referencing the system. Now they’re starting to do that,” he said.
Student visas have reportedly been revoked for a number of reasons, from minor traffic violations to driving with expired licenses. The basis for many cases has not been publicly shared.
“Knowing the broader context under which this administration is making these decisions about visas and green cards, I think we have enough evidence to know that it is politically motivated,” the professor said. “This is just a horrific weaponization of the immigration system.”
It is not clear why the UM student visas were revoked, though “encounters with law enforcement” was a suggested reason.
UM had a relatively minor response to the events following the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The campus did not see any protests or encampments, only school-approved student-led vigils and educational events, making it unlikely that students were targeted for a connection to pro-Palestinian behavior.
Neighboring Florida International University has reported 18 visa revocations. FIU spokesperson Madeline Baró said the school wasn’t aware of any students who lost their visas over a connection to protests.
“It feels like the government is trying to find an excuse to not have international students anymore,” the student said.
As of fall 2024, 2,151 international students were enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs at UM. Out of caution and a lack of knowledge of what is deemed a deportation-worthy offense, international students at UM have been hesitant to leave the country. Others have deleted social media posts that could have any political connotation.
“With all the new laws taking place I feel that it is just one more thing that I have to stress about,” said a second international student who asked to remain anonymous. “Being far away from my family, friends, and home is already difficult to deal with. I feel like I have to be careful about what I am doing and doublethink everything.”
Across the U.S. more than 1.1 million international students are enrolled in colleges and universities. In the 2023-2024 school year these students contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 378,000 jobs, according to the Association of International Educators.
“Parents of international students value this education and work hard to make sure their kids are receiving a high-value education,” said the student. “In the current state you’re putting money in the country through your school tuition, you’re paying taxes, but then you’re being treated in a way that you’re not welcome here.”
Depending on a student’s undergraduate major they are allotted up to three years of OPT, working for a company that sponsors them to stay in the U.S. For each year of OPT, these students are entered into a lottery to obtain a work visa that extends their time in the U.S.
“Its crazy one day you’re working full time the next day out of nowhere your visa is revoked,” the student said. “Just ending someone’s career just like that is insane.”
Students who have had their visas revoked have faced a mixture of consequences. Some are asked to self-deport, others have been held in detention facilities, including 27-year-old University of Florida student Felipe Zapata Velásquez who was sent to the Krome Detention Center in Miami after his arrest. He is now back in Colombia.
News Editor Ashley Sewall contributed to the reporting in this article.