US revokes visas of more than 300 international students

The US is rolling out a visa revocation programme, reportedly aimed at students deemed to have supported Hamas in the Gaza conflict.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 27 that at least 300 international students had their visas revoked. “It could be more than 300. We do this every day. Every time I find one of these crazy people, I take away their visa,” The Hill quoted Mr. Rubio as saying on March 27.

The US Secretary of State responded after Axios reported that the US government is trying to block universities from accepting too many international students who are considered to have a "pro-Hamas" stance in the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio answers the press on a flight to Florida on March 27.

Rubio has implemented a “catch and revoke” program that has revoked the visas of more than 300 international students in three weeks. The program is targeting students protesting the Gaza conflict and is part of the Trump administration’s immigration control goals.

At the heart of the administration’s plan is the revoking of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which allows schools to accept people with student visas. Some schools have had their accreditation revoked in the past when the government discovered too many people were abusing their student visas to stay and work in the United States. Now, the administration is targeting schools that are believed to have students who support Hamas in Gaza.

How does the Trump administration plan to restrict immigration?

According to Axios , the Trump administration is considering revoking the universities' accreditation, based on student protests at the schools, following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Columbia University are among the schools that have come under the attention of the administration after students staged large-scale protests on campus in support of the Palestinians. A representative from Columbia University did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, a UCLA spokesperson said the school is committed to eliminating hate, adding that the school has launched an initiative to combat anti-Semitism.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-thu-hoi-thi-thuc-cua-hon-300-sinh-vien-quoc-te-185250328100010335.htm