Columbia University’s Provost Angela Orint released the news through campus-wide emails. The email reported that the university learned of the withdrawal “the past two days” but it was unclear when the student’s visa had been revoked, the Anadolu Agency reported.
Orint said campus officials have not been notified of the Trump administration’s visa termination and have only discovered the action through “active daily checks” of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
Sevis is an online system run by DHS that tracks and monitors records and information from international students in the United States.
Orinth said the international students and academic office are “examining the situation” by notifying students of changes to Sevis’ situation and linking it to external legal support.
She also referenced various media reports that the Department of Homeland Security has targeted students for participating in pro-Palestinian protests and seeking minor criminal violations, and that international students have been stripped of their entry visas and are being told to leave the country directly by the DHS.
“The federal government has begun taking steps to terminate visa eligibility for international students across the country on alleged incidents involving mild traffic violations,” Orinth said.
MA/PR