In a surprising development, several top universities in the United States have reported sudden visa revocations affecting international students in 2025. The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) confirmed that multiple students had their visas unexpectedly cancelled by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), without any prior notice or explanation.
The discovery was made after routine internal checks through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a federal system used to track the status of foreign students studying in the U.S.
UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes revealed that the school only became aware of the visa cancellations after conducting independent reviews. “There was no official notice from ICE. We found out through our own monitoring of SEVIS,” he stated.
This event mirrors similar cases recently reported by other academic institutions, including Minnesota State University in Mankato, which said five of its international students had their visas revoked. Schools such as Arizona State University, Cornell University, North Carolina State University, the University of Oregon, the University of Texas, and the University of Colorado have all faced comparable incidents.
The reasons behind these actions remain unclear. However, U.S. officials have hinted that some of the affected students may have participated in protests or activities viewed as concerning. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that those involved in demonstrations or suspected of ties to “potential criminal activity” have come under federal scrutiny.
Several high-profile arrests have also raised red flags, such as those of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, Iranian doctoral student Alireza Doroudi—whose visa was revoked in 2023 and was later arrested in March—and Turkish Ph.D. student Rumeysa Ozturk, reportedly linked to anti-Israel protests.
UMass Amherst, the largest public university in Massachusetts, has committed to continuing its surveillance of SEVIS records to identify further changes. Chancellor Reyes expressed deep regret over the unexpected situation and promised support for the affected students.
This ongoing issue has left many international students worried about their immigration status and academic future in the United States. Universities across the country are now calling for transparency from federal authorities and urging proactive monitoring to protect students from unforeseen disruptions.
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