Another university in North Texas has confirmed that several of its international students have unexpectedly lost their visas.
The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) told FOX 4 on Thursday that 27 of its international students recently experienced sudden changes to their visa status. While university officials did not provide a clear reason, Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave some insight.
“If you come to the U.S. as a student, you’re expected to study, attend classes, and earn a degree,” Rubio said. “If instead you’re vandalizing libraries or taking over campuses, we’re going to revoke your visa — and we’ll keep doing it. When we identify individuals causing chaos, we remove them.”
His comments come amid a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at universities across the country — including UTA, where students and faculty participated in similar protests last May.
While Rubio didn’t mention any specific schools, several institutions that hosted such rallies have reported visa revocations.
Free speech advocates are raising alarms, calling the move a troubling attack on constitutional rights.
“This is deeply concerning,” said Lee Rowland, Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship. “The idea that the government can target and remove people for participating in political speech — even if it’s controversial — is a serious threat to freedom in America.”
Students at the University of Texas at Austin are also reacting. “We have a large international student population here at UT,” said student Arshia Papari. “Many are feeling scared and uncertain about their future.”
Nationwide, the federal government has revoked over 300 international student visas. Of those, at least 73 were tied to universities in North Texas. This includes:
- 27 students from UTA
- 27 students from the University of North Texas
- 19 students from the University of Texas at Dallas
The ongoing fallout is sending shockwaves across campuses, with many now questioning the line between national security and the right to protest.