“If you come to this country as a student, we expect you to go to class and study and get a degree. If you come here to vandalize a library, take over a campus, and do all kinds of crazy things, we’re going to get rid of these people.”
The Trump administration has canceled the visas of roughly 4,000 foreign students in its first 100 days, with the majority accused of serious crimes like assault, robbery, and arson, an official in the State Department said, according to a report from the New York Post.
“They came and they were breaking the law with no consequences,” the State Department source told the outlet. “We set up a special action team to handle this.”
Over 500 of those visas were revoked for 500 foreign students who were facing charges of assault. The group also included individuals tied to domestic violence, DUI, child endangerment, and trafficking—both human and of wildlife (such as exotic species.) Officials told the outlet that these were not minor incidents, and that only “serious” cases were included in the sweep.
“There were cases like where it was not a serious thing, like littering, or somebody had charges that were dropped, where we didn’t revoke those. Because it should be a serious matter,” the official explained.
The State Department, along with the Department of Homeland Security, spearheaded the effort. They cross checked student visa records with criminal databases to identify visa holders who had broken the law, the official told the outlet.
Most students affected by this come from countries in Asia and the Middle East. Those impacted were informed that their student visas had been revoked, and many have left voluntarily, the outlet reported. Others are expected to be detained and removed by immigration agents under the broader immigration enforcement plan laud of by President Trump.
It remains unclear how many of the 4,000 students are still awaiting deportation. “Perhaps in the future other visa categories, not just students, will be looked at,” the source told the Post.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has taken the lead in this initiative, pushing a tougher stance on foreign students, especially in cases involving protests against Israel. He has supported a “zero tolerance” approach for students involved in disruptive demonstrations.
“No one’s entitled to a student visa,” Rubio said in a recent cabinet meeting. “If you come to this country as a student, we expect you to go to class and study and get a degree. If you come here to vandalize a library, take over a campus, and do all kinds of crazy things, we’re going to get rid of these people.”
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