The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has revoked the visas of four additional international students at Columbia University, intensifying fears of a growing crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses. Columbia Provost Angela Olinto confirms that the university was not directly notified by federal authorities and only discovered the terminations through its own monitoring of the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The names and nationalities of the affected students have not been publicly released.
This latest action follows the controversial revocations and arrests of other Columbia students in recent weeks, including Mahmoud Khalil and Yunseo Chung. Khalil, a Palestinian student and graduate activist, was arrested by ICE agents on March 8, 2025. He is currently being held in Louisiana as immigration authorities pursue his deportation, alleging he has ties to Hamas. Khalil’s attorneys deny these allegations and claim his arrest is politically motivated due to his activism on behalf of Palestinians and his criticism of Israel.
Yunseo Chung, a 21-year-old lawful permanent resident from South Korea, was detained during a peaceful pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia on March 5. Chung has since filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of targeting her for exercising her First Amendment rights. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing her deportation while the case is heard in court.
Provost Olinto says the university is deeply concerned and is working to provide legal support for affected students. Some students have reported being targeted for minor infractions like traffic violations, raising questions about whether government agencies are searching for technical reasons to remove outspoken activists from U.S. campuses.
The wave of visa revocations and arrests appears to be part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to curb foreign student involvement in U.S.-based political protests, particularly those critical of Israel or supportive of Palestinian rights. Officials have cited national security concerns and the potential spread of “foreign extremist ideologies,” while critics argue this is a direct assault on free speech and academic freedom.
Students at Columbia are pushing back. Last week, several chained themselves to gates outside St. Paul’s Chapel to protest Khalil’s arrest and demand transparency from university leadership. Protesters are calling for Columbia to reveal whether it shared student information with immigration authorities and are urging trustees to defend students’ rights rather than cooperate with federal crackdowns.
Other universities across the U.S., including Tufts and Harvard, are also seeing growing tensions as student activists face scrutiny and possible deportation. Legal observers and civil rights groups are watching the situation closely, warning that a precedent is being set that could suppress dissent under the guise of immigration enforcement.
As legal battles unfold and protests continue, the revocations at Columbia highlight an intensifying struggle over civil liberties, immigration enforcement, and the boundaries of campus activism in the United States.
Source Links:
https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2025/04/06/federal-government-terminates-visas-of-four-international-students-university-says
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/columbia-university-protester-khalils-case-remain-new-jersey-2025-04-01
https://apnews.com/article/052280bfe4e8d4d07e98a681058340fe
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/03/trump-student-visas-tufts-00006476
https://nypost.com/video/columbia-university-students-chain-themselves-to-gate-during-mahmoud-khalil-protest
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/foreign-college-students-targeted-deportation/story?id=120210587
https://youtu.be/mPY4WH26hnw
