ROCHESTER, N.Y. – International students at universities across the country, including those in Rochester, are facing visa revocations. While having a visa revoked does not mean immediate deportation, it does mean they will face deportation at some point.
Dariel Guerra, a senior and former student leader at the University of Rochester, said, “People are scared to speak up and say anything.”
Mohammed Saleem, an immigration attorney based in New York City, said international students fear, “If I step outside, ICE agents are going to detain me.”
Guerra explained that the crackdown on international student visas is disrupting daily college life at the University of Rochester.
He said this situation will not allow students to stay and complete their studies.
“A lot of fear, it’s mainly fear, and it has been fear ever since Trump came into office,” said Guerra.
Guerra believes the targeting of international students may be linked to protests held on campus against the Israel-Hamas war.
He said, “We as a student body saw this coming and we urged the university for a very long time to provide resources and make a statement and take a stance on the issue and they didn’t.”
Saleem argued that international students have the right to engage in speech protected by the First Amendment.
He recently represented Mohammed Tall, a Ph.D. student at Cornell, whose visa was revoked.
Saleem said, “They’re kind of just being sacrificial lambs in this administration. That’s something this administration in furtherance of policies is trying to conflate in their executive orders and trying to muzzle that free speech part.”
He advised international students to consult with an attorney if their visa is terminated.
“Come up with a plan, speak with an attorney. Do a consultation, say what would be my options and next steps,” Saleem said.
RIT released a statement that says in part:
“RIT is committed to supporting our international students, who are essential to our academic community. While we cannot comment on individual student immigration matters due to privacy concerns, we can confirm that several of our students have been affected by recent visa changes. Our international student office proactively monitors the SEVIS database multiple times daily and works closely with those impacted to provide resources and support during this difficult time.
We will continue to monitor developments and advocate for policies that allow students worldwide to pursue their RIT education in the United States safely and without disruption.”
To read the full statement, click here.
We asked the state why it chose to revoke these students’ visas in particular.
A spokesperson did not answer our question saying quote:
“Due to privacy and other considerations, and visa confidentiality, we generally will not comment on department actions with respect to specific cases.”
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‘People are scared’: International students at local universities fear deportation as visas revoked WHEC.com.
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