'Visa revoked, deported': US immigration crackdown unnerves international students. Here's what to know

The Trump administration's aggressive push to deport foreigners involved in last year’s pro-Palestinian campus protests has sent shockwaves through the international student community. Federal immigration officers have already arrested two foreign nationals, one of whom was a student protester at Columbia University, while another fled the country after her visa was revoked.  

Ranjani Srinivasan, a PhD student at Columbia, saw her F-1 student visa cancelled over allegations of supporting Hamas and “advocating for violence and terrorism.” Fearing legal repercussions, she voluntarily left the US using the self-deportation feature on the new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home App.

The case has raised urgent questions about the legal risks international students face, particularly regarding deportation and future re-entry bans.  

What international students need to know  

Deportation can occur if a student overstays their visa, violates its terms, or commits a crime. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has the authority to remove students for serious criminal offenses, typically those carrying a potential jail sentence of over a year. Minor infractions like traffic violations or first-time shoplifting usually do not result in deportation.  

Maintaining visa status is critical. F-1 and M-1 students must leave the US within 60 and 30 days, respectively, after completing their studies. Staying beyond this period leads to "unlawful presence," which can result in bans on re-entry.  

The Trump administration has intensified scrutiny on visa holders involved in protests. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the crackdown, stating on X (formerly Twitter):  “When you apply to enter the United States and you get a visa, you are a guest… If you tell us when you apply for a visa ‘I’m coming to the U.S. to participate in pro-Hamas events,’ that runs counter to the foreign policy interest of the United States.”  

Rubio has been vocal about student visa policies, previously criticizing MIT for failing to suspend foreign students involved in anti-Israel protests.  

With the administration taking swift action on visa revocations and deportations, international students are left wondering where the line is — and whether their right to protest could cost them their place in the US.