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The U.S. Department of State has reportedly sent emails instructing international students, including some from India, to leave the country due to their involvement in campus activism.
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has reportedly sent emails to hundreds of international students, instructing them to leave the country due to their participation in campus activism. Immigration attorneys, as cited by The Times of India, have confirmed this development, indicating that some Indian students may also be impacted—even for actions as small as sharing a social media post.
According to an immigration attorney, the crackdown is not limited to students who actively participated in protests but also extends to those who engaged online by liking or sharing content deemed "anti-national." The DOS, including consular officials, is conducting social media screenings, which could impact not only current international students but also new applicants for F (academic), M (vocational), and J (exchange) visas. Those flagged during the review process may be denied entry into the U.S. for studies.
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As per the latest Open Doors report, the U.S. hosted 1.1 million international students in the 2023-24 academic year, with 3.31 lakh of them being from India.
According to a report by Axios, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has initiated an AI-driven program called "Catch and Revoke" aimed at canceling visas of foreign nationals suspected of supporting Hamas or other officially designated terrorist organizations. Axios further states that within the first three weeks of the program’s implementation, over 300 foreign students have had their student visas revoked. Currently, there are approximately 1.5 million individuals holding student visas across the United States.
“On behalf of the United States Department of State, the Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Office hereby informs you that additional information became available after your visa was issued. As a result, your F-1 visa with expiration date XXXXX was revoked in accordance with Section 221(i) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended."
"The Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Office has alerted the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which manages the Student Exchange Visitor Program and is responsible for removal proceedings. They may notify your designated school official about the revocation of your F-1 visa."
"Remaining in the United States without a lawful immigration status can result in fines, detention, and/or deportation. It may also make you ineligible for a future U.S. visa. Please note that deportation can take place at a time that does not allow the person being deported to secure possessions or conclude affairs in the United States. Persons being deported may be sent to countries other than their countries of origin."
"Given the gravity of this situation, individuals whose visa was revoked may wish to demonstrate their intent to depart the United States using the CBP Home App"
"As soon as you depart the United States, you must personally present your passport to the U.S. embassy or consulate which issued your visa so your visa can be physically cancelled. You must not attempt to use your visa as it has been revoked. If you intend to travel to the United States in the future, you must apply for another U.S. visa and a determination on your eligibility for a visa will be made at that time."
Immigration attorneys state that the surge in self-deportation emails sent to international students originates from an internal directive issued by Rubio on March 25. The directive mandates social media reviews for both current international students in the U.S. and new applicants.
“If the social media review uncovers potentially derogatory information indicating that the applicant may not be eligible for a visa, Fraud Prevention Units are required to take screenshots of social media findings to the extent it is relevant to a visa ineligibility, to preserve the record against the applicant's later alteration of the information,” states this internal directive.
“Consular officers do not need to upload social media findings if the review does not reveal derogatory information, but consular officers must enter case notes stating they conducted a social media review which did not reveal derogatory information,” adds the directive.
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