By Ghazali Ibrahim 
A growing number of international students across the United States are facing abrupt visa cancellations and legal status terminations, triggering widespread panic on college campuses and sparking a wave of legal challenges.
According to an Associated Press review, at least 901 students from 128 colleges have been affected so far.
Immigration attorneys and advocacy groups warn that the actual number could be significantly higher.
“We thought it was unusual at first,” said Boston-based immigration attorney Matthew Maiona.
“Now it’s coming fast and furious.”
The affected students hail from countries around the world, including large numbers from India and China.
However, attorneys report that no region appears to be exempt from the crackdown.
In many cases, students say their visas were cancelled over minor infractions, such as traffic violations. Others say they were given no explanation at all.
Four international students in Michigan are currently suing the U.S. government, alleging they were not informed of any reason for their sudden status revocation.
Courts in states including New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Montana have since temporarily reinstated the legal status of some students, pending further hearings.
However, with no formal explanation from the Department of State or the Department of Homeland Security, the situation remains chaotic.
In a departure from standard protocol, universities are now discovering visa terminations directly through the government’s immigration database, often before students receive any official notification themselves.
The timing of the cancellations is especially troubling for students on the verge of graduation or awaiting employment offers.
Some have been advised to leave the country immediately, while others are staying to appeal their cases, hoping to avoid detention or deportation.
With little clarity, students are being forced into drastic changes to their daily lives, carrying immigration documents at all times and avoiding public activities.
“It’s scary,” said a Chinese Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“You don’t know if you’ll be the next one.”
