This week’s attack on mixed-status students in the Senate Education K-16 Committee comes amid a broader attack on international students. As of today, more than 260 international students in Texas have had their visas revoked, as well as at least one professor. These students have had their legal status changed or have been dropped from the federal database, Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
Here’s a breakdown, according to university officials as of April 11:
- 176 students affected at the University of Texas system
- 27 at UT Arlington
- 18 at UT Dallas
- 10 at UT El Paso
- 9 at UT Rio Grande Valley
- The other UT system schools did not provide exact numbers.
- 38 students affected at the Texas A&M System
- 12 students and 1 professor at the University of Houston System
- 4 students from the Texas Woman’s University System
- 3 students from Texas Tech University System
- 27 at the University of North Texas System
These numbers do not include students potentially impacted at community colleges across the state. Many of these visa revocations are in retaliation for students who engaged in protests against Israel’s war in Gaza or otherwise pro-Palestinian activity, following the Trump Administration’s promise to deport international students who were involved. On April 9, the Trump Administration also pledged to review international students’ social media for pro-Palestinian content. Several Texas universities were spots for these protests last year, putting international students who may have been involved with them at risk.
The most common student visa is the F-1 visa. These students must prove they have sufficient financial resources to study in the United States, maintain strong academic standing, and typically face restrictions on working off-campus while enrolled. If a student loses their residency status, they must self-deport or risk detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
These terminations sparked hundreds of lawsuits across the country, leading to an announcement from the Justice Department today that these visa revocations will be reversed. The DOJ also announced that ICE is developing a new policy for international students on F-1 visas. In the meantime, no student will have their SEVIS records terminated solely due to criminal history checks involving misdemeanors or dismissed cases.
Texas AFT is supporting our educators who have been personally impacted, or who are concerned about the well-being of their students. Today’s reversal of visa terminations is important for safeguarding mixed-status students and faculty, but as we’ve seen, this situation remains volatile. We are closely monitoring any changes and will make sure we support our members to our fullest extent.