International students from at least eight Utah colleges have had their student visas revoked or records quietly terminated by the Trump administration. Across the country, colleges are reporting a similar pattern of international students unexpectedly having their visas stripped away.
KUER reached out to colleges statewide to see how many students had been impacted. The University of Utah reported the largest number, with 18 undergraduate and graduate students told to voluntarily leave the country or face penalties, including deportation.
Similar to what is happening elsewhere, the University of Utah confirmed these students have also had their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS, records terminated. Those are maintained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and track the status of international students in the country.
A University of Utah spokesperson said in a statement that international students could have their visas revoked over the course of any school year. What is different now is SEVIS records are being terminated sometimes without notice to the school or the student. This means some colleges are only finding out that a student’s SEVIS record is terminated by regularly checking the system.
According to guidance from other colleges across the country, if the Department of Homeland Security terminates a SEVIS record that usually means a student no longer has lawful status in the U.S. and they need to leave the country.
Weber State University said five students have had their SEVIS records terminated, Utah Tech University and Southern Utah University both had nine. Utah Valley University reported three student visas had been revoked, Salt Lake Community College also reported three and Snow College reported two students. Utah State University confirmed some of their students are affected but did not provide an exact number to protect student privacy.
Westminster University said the school is in touch with its international students and to its knowledge none have had visas revoked.
Brigham Young University has not confirmed to KUER if any of their students have been impacted.
All together, more than 49 international students in Utah have had their visa status ended by the Trump administration.
Some Utah students have not been given an explicit reason for why their visas were revoked. In some cases the stated reason has been a criminal record check, but others have simply been “failure to maintain nonimmigrant status.”
University of Utah students who received letters were told “remaining in the United States without a lawful immigration status can result in fines, detention, and/or deportation. It may also make you ineligible for a future U.S. visa. Please note that deportation can take place at a time that does not allow the person being deported to secure possessions or conclude affairs in the United States. Persons being deported may be sent to countries other than their countries of origin.”
The letter recommends voluntarily leaving the country and reapplying for a visa. The university says students should seek legal counsel.
About half of the students at the University of Utah who have had visas terminated are from China, the other half are from India and the Middle East.
The University of Utah said in its statement, “As a public institution of higher education, the University of Utah follows state and federal law. We are currently in a period of enhanced immigration enforcement.”
The university sent an email to its international students on April 4 to offer guidance and support “during this period of heightened immigration enforcement and policy uncertainty.” That included tips about maintaining their F-1 or J-1 visa status, as well as legal and mental health resources. The university also advised international students to avoid non-essential travel out of the U.S.
Most international students in the U.S. are on F-1 visas. About 3,733 students or recent graduates of the university have F-1 visa status that they received in order to attend the school. Another 371 individuals have J-1 visas for specific programs.
Salt Lake Community College said they have reached out to all three students who had visas terminated. In a statement, the college said it “is also working with each student to coordinate options for them to complete and receive credit for their spring semester classes, which end in a few weeks. The circumstances around these visa revocations and SEVIS status changes remain unclear and these enforcement actions are happening with little or no advance notice to students or the College. We will work closely with our international students to keep them informed and supported as we learn more while following state and federal laws.”
At least a few Utah students who had their visas revoked have already left the country.
