Plain-clothes agents, no criminal charges: Over 1,000 students targeted in visa crackdown in US

Many of those detained appear to have been involved in or linked to pro-Palestinian protests. The Trump administration has repeatedly asserted that student visas are a “privilege,” not a right, and can be withdrawn for reasons including national security concerns. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the trend, telling reporters, “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas. We do it every day.”

“I could be next”

The sweeping measures have created an atmosphere of fear on campuses across the US — from Ivy League universities to large public institutions. At Georgetown University, a student involved in writing on the Gaza conflict said, “I could be next,” adding that he now carries a card outlining his legal rights in case of arrest.

Another student in Texas said he avoids leaving his apartment, fearing he may be approached by undercover officers. Some researchers abroad have cancelled plans to return to the US, citing uncertainty and risk.

While the administration insists these actions are aimed at individuals posing security risks or inciting hatred, students and civil liberties groups say they are being punished for political speech. “This is part of the trauma that I think students are facing,” BBC quoted Georgetown professor Nader Hashemi as saying.

Targeted detentions

The visa cancellations are often opaque. Universities have reportedly discovered changes in student visa statuses only by checking government databases. Some students have been picked up for alleged minor infractions like traffic violations. Others, like Columbia University’s Mahmoud Khalil, were arrested at home and face deportation despite holding permanent residency.

In one of the more high-profile cases, Georgetown postdoctoral fellow Badar Khan Suri was detained outside his Virginia home. The Department of Homeland Security cited “promotion of antisemitism” and alleged connections to a known Hamas figure — the father of Suri’s wife, whom he reportedly met only a few times.

Campus backlash

The broader government effort has coincided with threats to defund universities seen as uncooperative. Just this week, the White House froze $2 billion in funding to Harvard University after it refused to comply with demands for data on certain student visa holders.

At Tufts University, graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk — who had written in support of the BDS movement — was detained outside her home. Her arrest, caught on video, showed her visibly shaken as plainclothes agents intercepted her en route to a Ramadan dinner.

“I’m scared to come to school. I’m scared to go grocery shopping,” said a University of Texas student, who holds a green card but fears being targeted for past online statements critical of President Trump. “What if I did say something and I’m not aware?” he asked as quoted by BBC.

The Department of Education has not responded to multiple media requests for comment.