University of Alaska reports four international students have had visas revoked without notice
Students exit the University of Alaska Anchorage consortium library on Sept. 6, 2024. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
The federal government has revoked the visas of four international students at the University of Alaska Anchorage, without explanation or prior notice to students or the university, university officials said on Monday.
'This week, we learned that the federal government has revoked visas for four individuals affiliated with UAA — one current student and three recent graduates in post-graduation training — without prior notice,' said UA President Pat Pitney in a university wide email on Monday.
No students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks or University of Alaska Southeast have been affected to date, Pitney said. She said university staff are monitoring immigration records daily, and working to support students. She urged affected students to contact international student services offices of their campus for support.
'These immigration issues do not impact a student's academic standing at UA,' Pitney added. 'Our international students and scholars are vital members of our community, and we remain fully committed to supporting their success.'
The federal government did not provide the student or university a specific reason for the visa cancelations, according to Jonathon Taylor, university director of public affairs.
When asked if any of the students were detained by the Alaska Department of Corrections, a spokesperson said they were not able to immediately respond by Monday afternoon.
Students can generally stay in the U.S. but can no longer leave and re-enter without applying for another visa.
If there are changes to a student's immigration status, then the government is required to provide a reason, said Nicholas Olano, an Anchorage-based immigration attorney with Nations Law Group.
'The question is, are the regulations being followed here? And that is what needs to be looked at carefully. Are these people giving proper notice?' he said.
Olano said usually an individual must be convicted of a crime for immigration status to be affected, but under the Trump administration it can be for simply an arrest, or allegations of misconduct. 'What is happening now is by all means extreme,' he said.
Over 1,000 international students have had visas revoked at over 180 colleges and universities, according to a national tracking project by Inside Higher Ed, a news site. Several students have filed lawsuits arguing the government has failed to justify canceling visas or terminating immigration status, and denied them due process.
Many cases are related to protests or statements in connection with the Israel-Hamas war.
An executive order Trump issued early in his term cited 'an unprecedented wave of vile anti-Semitic discrimination, vandalism and violence,' and called on the government to use 'all available and appropriate legal tools, to prosecute, remove, or otherwise hold to account the perpetrators of unlawful anti-Semitic harassment and violence.' Last week, the Trump administration announced it would screen immigrants' social media for what it termed 'antisemitism.'
However, students and advocates nationally have said many students are targeted for their involvement in peaceful protests to support Palestinians affected by the ongoing war, and the Trump administration's actions target First Amendment protected rights to freedom of speech.
Olano said it's a 'huge difference' between participating in a protest and a criminal infraction leading to a notice to appear before an immigration judge and be placed in deportation proceedings, but he advised students to take extra caution.
'It's horrible; I'm having to say this because I think that the First Amendment, the Constitution, covers every single individual that is in the United States presently,' he said. 'But at this moment, you should not exercise your right to free speech because you can have consequences. That's the most un-American thing ever. But I'm saying it.'
Olano advised students to contact an immigration attorney, adding that legal resources and information are available by contacting the ACLU of Alaska.
In addition to the effect on international students, Olano expressed concern for the state's economy and future.
'This is going to hurt Alaska in the long run,' he said. 'In the short term, too. We're going to see less students that bring money from their countries to spend here at the universities. Because international students pay significantly higher tuition fees than the local students, and those monies are going to stop coming in. We are going to lose prospective employees for companies. And with all that is going on, Alaska is going to be hurting even more for people.'
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