Immigration Visas Revoked For Unknown Reasons At 3 MD Colleges

MARYLAND — Immigration visas were revoked for an unknown number of international students at three Maryland universities with no explanation from federal officials about why the students must leave the country, the colleges told Patch on Thursday.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, College Park all have students affected by the immigration crackdown.

UMBC said four of its students lost their visas.

The college was performing a daily audit of its Student and Exchange Visitor Information System when it discovered that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had terminated the visas. UMBC said it then "immediately reached out to the affected students."

"Some of the affected students plan to depart the U.S. immediately, while others have engaged immigration counsel and are exploring their legal options," UMBC spokesperson Cherie Parker told Patch in an email. "We are coordinating with the students and with faculty and administrators to explore options for any of these students who must depart the U.S. to complete their coursework and degree program."

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Johns Hopkins said, "Approximately several dozen Johns Hopkins graduate students and recent graduates of JHU graduate programs have had their F-1 visa records terminated."

"As the visa sponsor, the university has taken required steps to inform students of the terminations," a Johns Hopkins University spokesperson told Patch in a statement. "The university is providing a range of support services to affected students through our offices of international services, academic advising, and health and wellbeing."

UMD has not said how many of its students were affected.

"The university is aware that some international students at institutions nationwide, including UMD, have experienced the unexpected termination of their lawful status in the U.S," the college told Patch in a statement. "UMD's International Students and Scholars Services office will continue to communicate with impacted individuals to provide information specific to their situations."

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month he has signed hundreds of visa terminations, some for students and others for travelers. He said many of the affected students protested against U.S. actions and others had potential criminal activity.

"We are not going to be importing activists into the United States. They’re here to study. They’re here to go to class. They’re not here to lead activist movements that are disruptive and undermine ... our universities. I think it’s lunacy to continue to allow that," Rubio told reporters on March 28.

Johns Hopkins, however, doesn't think its visa terminations were related to protests.

"We have received no information about the specific basis for the revocations, and we have no indication that the revocations are associated with free expression activities on campus," Hopkins said, directing students to its immigration FAQ webpage. "While visa revocations do require students to depart the United States, we are not aware of any arrests or detentions of Johns Hopkins students as a result of these visa actions."

UMBC doesn't know why its students' visas were yanked.

"Neither UMBC nor the students received any prior notification or subsequent explanation from the government, so we do not know why the terminations happened," Parker said.

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