Washington, D.C. – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday that 300 international students have had their visas revoked after allegedly participating in campus protests. He claimed that the government has the right to remove students whose actions go against the conditions of their visa.
“If you’re in the U.S. on a visa and you participate in activities like vandalising property, harassing others, or disrupting campuses, we will revoke your visa,” Rubio said.
He added, “Once your visa is cancelled, you are no longer legally in the U.S., and like any other country, we have the right to remove you.”
No Advance Notice for Visa Revocations?
Rubio confirmed that 300 student visas have already been revoked, but it is unclear whether these students were notified in advance or given a chance to respond before their visas were cancelled.
Tufts Student Detained, Alleged Hamas Support Cited
Rubio’s remarks came shortly after the detention of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish graduate student at Tufts University, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Massachusetts.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson accused Ozturk of “engaging in activities in support of Hamas,” though no detailed evidence was provided. Ozturk was one of four students who wrote an opinion piece for a campus newspaper in March 2024 calling on Tufts to “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide” and “divest from companies tied to Israel.” The article did not mention Hamas.
She is now being held at a federal detention facility in Louisiana.
Another Student Detained in Alabama
Also this week, Alireza Doroudi, an Iranian doctoral student at the University of Alabama, was taken into ICE custody. Officials have not disclosed the reason for his detention or where he is currently held.
Both students held F-1 visas, which allow international students to study full-time in the U.S.
Legal Action from Professors and Unions
Following the detentions, labor unions representing university professors filed a lawsuit, saying that threats of arrest, deportation, or visa cancellation violate the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and peaceful protest.
The lawsuit refers to President Trump’s March 4 social media post, where he warned that participants in “illegal protests” would be arrested. The lawsuit argues that the post was vague and did not clarify how officials would define or identify “illegal protests.”
Former Columbia Student Also in Custody
Earlier this month, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian born in Syria and former Columbia University student, was also detained. Unlike the others, Khalil holds a green card (legal permanent residency) — not a student visa.
When ICE agents realised he wasn’t on a student visa, they reportedly moved to revoke his green card, using a rare section of immigration law that allows deportation if the Secretary of State believes someone’s presence threatens U.S. foreign policy interests.
The government claims Khalil supported Hamas, which is a designated terrorist organisation under U.S. law. However, no public evidence has been presented directly linking Khalil to Hamas support. CBS News found no statements from Khalil showing support for Hamas.
He is also being held in a federal detention centre in Louisiana.
Government Cites UN and Advocacy Involvement
In court filings, the government also said Khalil failed to disclose connections to:
- UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestinian refugees)
- The British Embassy in Beirut
- Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a student activist group
The government dismissed First Amendment-related objections from Khalil’s lawyers as a “red herring.”
Rubio Vows More Action
Rubio defended the actions, saying the administration would continue revoking visas and green cards of anyone linked to Hamas or seen as a threat.
“Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” Rubio said.
When asked whether students like Khalil were being punished for expressing political views rather than supporting terrorism, Rubio pointed to news coverage of protests involving vandalism and building takeovers.
“He’s going to leave — and so are others,” Rubio said. “We’re going to keep doing it.”
The revocation of 300 student visas and detentions of international students have raised serious concerns about freedom of speech, due process, and the line between political activism and security threats. Legal experts and university groups are now challenging the government’s actions in court, arguing that peaceful protest and criticism of foreign policy are protected rights—not grounds for deportation.
As the debate continues, the government’s use of immigration powers to respond to campus activism will remain under scrutiny.