‘One like and you’re out’: US warns international students, including Indians, in visa sweep

Liking the wrong post could get you kicked out. That’s the harsh new reality for hundreds of international students in the US—including Indians—who are being slapped with sudden visa revocation emails from the State Department. 

Immigration attorneys quoted in a Times of India report claim students are being targeted not just for joining campus protests, but for simply engaging online. A single like, share, or comment on the wrong social media post is now enough to trigger deportation.

The effort is part of an AI-powered campaign dubbed Catch and Revoke, spearheaded by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. First reported by Axios, the initiative aims to cancel visas of foreign nationals suspected of supporting Hamas or other designated terrorist groups. 

In just three weeks, over 300 student visas have already been revoked. The US currently hosts around 1.5 million international students, with more than 331,000 from India, according to the latest Open Doors report.

Affected students are reportedly receiving chilling emails from the Bureau of Consular Affairs, warning them of immediate consequences:

“Your F-1 visa… was revoked in accordance with Section 221(i) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended.”

“Remaining in the United States without a lawful immigration status can result in fines, detention, and/or deportation… Deportation can take place at a time that does not allow the person being deported to secure possessions or conclude affairs.”

The email, mentioned in the TOI report, also urges students to demonstrate their intent to depart using the CBP Home App and warns them not to attempt reentry unless issued a fresh visa.

The crackdown follows a March 25 directive from Rubio mandating social media reviews of both existing visa holders and new applicants. Officers are instructed to take screenshots if they find any “potentially derogatory information” and flag it as grounds for ineligibility. If nothing is found, they’re still required to record that a review took place.

International students on F-1 and J-1 visas are typically admitted for the "duration of status," meaning they can remain in the US as long as they continue to meet the conditions of their visa. In the past, they wouldn’t begin accruing unlawful presence unless a formal determination was made by immigration authorities. However, an update published on the USCIS website in January now states that unlawful presence starts the day after a student's status ends—if they stay in the country beyond that point.

This change closely resembles a controversial attempt during a previous administration to retroactively count unlawful presence, a move that faced considerable legal opposition.

Once a student's SEVIS record—used to track international students—is terminated, their options become limited. They can either request a reinstatement from immigration authorities or leave the US and attempt to apply for a new visa abroad. But the second route, they cautioned, carries significant risk and uncertainty.

During a press conference in Guyana, Rubio defended the policy in blunt terms. Responding to a question about a Turkish student detained at Tufts University, he said:

“We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist that tears up our university campuses… Once your visa is revoked, you’re illegally in the country and you have to leave.”

“Why would any country in the world allow people to come and disrupt? I don’t care what movement you’re involved in… If we’ve given you a visa and then you decide to do that, we’re going to take it away.”

Attorneys advising affected students say it’s crucial to seek immediate legal help—whether to reinstate SEVIS records or, if needed, to prepare for removal proceedings. But with the line between protest and punishment now blurrier than ever, many students are left in limbo—where even a click could cost them their future.