Indian student in US at major risk? Speeding tickets, driving in wrong lane can now lead to a visa loss

International students in the United States are facing unprecedented scrutiny as federal authorities ramp up surveillance and enforcement. Even minor infractions—like traffic violations—have recently led to visa cancellations, raising concerns about fairness, transparency, and freedom of expression, according to the Associated Press.

Several top institutions, including Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, the University of Michigan, and Ohio State, have reported a sudden spike in visa revocations among international students. In many cases, students had no known links to campus protests or criminal activity. Instead, some had their visas cancelled for past speeding tickets or for engaging with pro-Gaza content online.

University officials said they were caught off guard, often learning of the cancellations only when reviewing the federal immigration database. “In many cases, the US government provided little or no explanation, leaving schools scrambling for answers,” the report stated.

Indians, worst affected

Indian students are among the most affected. While some had not physically participated in pro-Palestinian protests, their social media activity—such as liking or sharing posts—has reportedly triggered investigations.

Axios had earlier reported that federal agencies are combing through online content to flag signs of “terrorist sympathies.” A new AI-driven program, allegedly named Catch and Revoke, is reportedly being used to identify students suspected of supporting Hamas or other designated terrorist groups.

One of the most high-profile cases is that of Ranjani Srinivasan, a 37-year-old Indian PhD student at Columbia University, who was forced to self-deport to Canada after immigration agents revoked her visa and arrived at her home.

Another student, Badar Khan Suri, pursuing conflict studies at Georgetown University, was detained after his visa was revoked based on allegations of antisemitic speech and ties to Hamas. Suri denies the claims, stating he’s being targeted due to his wife’s Palestinian background.

The crackdown intensified after a directive issued on March 25 by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which mandated social media background checks on international students and applicants.

Rubio confirmed the policy shift: “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa. We will continue revoking visas every day. Anyone engaging in pro-Hamas rhetoric, online or in person, will face consequences.”

While the legal framework allows U.S. authorities to revoke visas for multiple reasons, university administrators say the lack of transparency and sudden enforcement represent a stark departure from standard protocol. They worry that this will have a chilling effect on free speech among the country’s international student population.