Additional international students at Kent State University and the University of Akron had their visas revoked this week, the two schools confirmed, prohibiting them from continuing to study at the universities — or stay in the country.
The tally at Kent State is now three current students, plus seven recent graduates, all of whom had optional practical training temporary work permits that allow students with F-1 visas to gain experience in the field they studied. At the University of Akron, three students had their visas revoked.
That’s up from the previous total, reported last week, when four students with ties to Kent State and two at the University of Akron had their visas removed.
Kent State spokesperson Emily Vincent said her office did not have any details about the students whose visas were eliminated. A spokesperson for the University of Akron, Cristine Boyd, said she did not have information about why the visas were revoked and was not releasing additional information “in the interest of student privacy.”
Kent State had 2,201 international students enrolled in the fall semester; the University of Akron had 533 international students this semester.
The students are now among the nearly 1,500 students at 240 colleges known to be facing similar fates, according to a tracker compiled by Inside Higher Ed. That list includes nearly 40 students across Ohio, including at Ohio State, Case Western Reserve and Bowling Green State universities.
The State Department is revoking student visas for those they believe may be affiliated with groups they deem against America’s foreign policy interests. Several students have already filed lawsuits against the federal government, saying the moves were unprovoked.
Visas are the government documents that allow people from other countries to legally study and/or work in the United States. These documents can be revoked for a number of reasons. But, broadly, people aren’t allowed to stay in the country once a visa is terminated.
Local immigration attorney: Crimes are not deportable offenses
Farhad Sethna, an immigration attorney who is an adjunct professor at the University of Akron School of Law, said he had talked to three local students whose visas were revoked, though he would not say which school they attended. All three had misdemeanor convictions, he said, though he emphasized that none of the crimes were deportable offenses.
One student was convicted of shoplifting, another of disorderly conduct and a third of operating a vehicle while impaired. Sethna said while the students did make mistakes, they were “relatively victimless” crimes and the students were “certainly not the thugs and murderers and rapists” President Donald Trump said he planned to deport.
“It’s a horrible situation where you have a totally unbalanced playing field. The punishment ought to balance the crime,” he said. “There ought to be some sort of proportionality.”
Students no longer have a legal immigration status as soon as their visa is revoked, he said, and the universities can be responsible if the student continues to attend classes. Sethna said he could not share more information about the students he spoke to but said they were “probably very devastated” after losing their opportunities to learn — and family savings to pay their tuition, with nothing to show for it.
“How do they tell their parents they’re coming home?” he asked.
‘Far harsher’ consequences than American citizens
Revoking students’ visas sends the message that international students are not welcome here, Courtney Koski, an attorney at the Costas Law Firm in Independence, said in an email. She expects to see fewer international students coming to the United States, she said.
“Seeing the risk of being thrown into immigration detention and left in legal limbo, who would want to study here?” she asked.
Those who have their visas revoked or their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System status terminated should consult with an immigration attorney, she said — some may be able to be reinstated. International students whose status has not been challenged should limit their travel outside the U.S. and be mindful of what they post on social media, Koski said, even if their accounts are private.
The moves by the Trump administration raise concerns “as to the infringement on First Amendment rights and due process violations,” said Christina Foliacci, an associate attorney at Brown Immigration Law, in an email.
“International students are to remain vigilant, cautious and have evidence of lawful status at all times,” she wrote.
Both Koski and Foliacci suggested building relationships with immigration attorneys early, as laws become more restrictive. When a visa is revoked, Foliacci said, students no longer have the ability to work, study or travel.
Sethna, who started the website saveimmigrantfamiliesusa.com to help share information about people’s rights, called the government’s actions “very, very disturbing.” He said he expects some students to die by suicide as a result of the decisions and the huge power imbalance they face in finding a way to stay in the country.
While the offenses the local students were convicted for are misdemeanors, Sethna said the students often don’t have the means to defend themselves adequately. Now, he said, “the government is basically bullying people.”
“It’s not some dystopian fantasy,” he said. “This is not just about immigration. This is pervading all aspects of our country.”
Students can have their visas revoked if they are failing classes, not attending classes or aren’t signed up for enough classes, Sethna said — but not for the minor offenses the students he spoke to were convicted of.
“They committed crimes that any U.S. citizen commits,” he said, “but with far harsher consequences.”
Signal Ohio Staff Writer Amy Morona contributed to this story.