In a sweeping national trend, 20 international students and recent graduates at the University of Utah received notification that their visas had been terminated and they would need to leave the country. These notifications came less than a month before graduation.

The Legacy Alliance, a group representing the Asian American Student Association, Black Student Union, Mecha, the Pacific Islander Student Association and the Latinx Student Union, reacted to the revocations Thursday. In an Instagram post, the group posted a condemnation of the Trump administration canceling student visas.

“We stand in solidarity with our international students and demand immediate action to protect their rights as students at the University of Utah. We refuse to be silent,” the group captioned their post.

Legacy Alliance also made several requests from the university and U President Taylor Randall. The group called for the school to publicly advocate for the reversal of the Trump administration’s policies and increased transparency for visa and SEVIS status changes. The group also called for increased legal and mental health services for any affected students.

The U has generally been committed to political neutrality. In May, 2023, the Utah System of Higher Education passed a resolution on freedom of speech and academic neutrality on all college campuses. The U’s official policy reads, “institutional neutrality is a commitment by our university leaders in their official capacity to refrain from taking public positions on political, social, or unsettled issues unless an issue directly affects the core mission, role, or pedagogical objectives of the University.”

The U joins dozens of other colleges such as Columbia University and Texas A&M University as targets of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Secretary of State Marco Rubio estimated 300 student visas had been revoked as of Thursday, and pledged more would come each day. 

As of last Friday, more than 790 international students at over 150 colleges nationwide have had their visas revoked. That includes nine students at both Utah Tech University and Southern Utah University, five at Weber State University, three at Salt Lake Community College, three at Utah Valley University and two at Snow College, according to data collected by Inside Higher Ed. 

These visa revocations were initially limited to students involved protests for liberation in Palestine and university divestment from Israel, with high-profile visa revocations and detainments such as that of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish student abducted by unidentified federal agents and transported from New Hampshire to Louisiana without access to her legal counsel. However, they’ve since spread to students involved in crimes as minor as traffic violations, or nothing at all.

A statement from Randall suggested the visa cancellations for U students and recent graduates may be due to a criminal records check, but stressed that “colleges and universities across the country have not been consistently notified of changes to the immigration status of international students, nor is the government required to do so under the law.”

Administrators across the U have given statements on the safety of international students. At-risk students are encouraged to reach out to International Student & Scholar Services and the Office of General Counsel. They are also cautioned to avoid international travel after the Trump administration declared a non-citizen travel ban on 43 countries. This disallowed citizens of those countries from reentering the United States.

“ISSS is holding open office hours every day to consult with non-U.S. citizen students/scholars,” a statement from the College of Social and Behavioral Science said. “You are strongly encouraged to consult with them about your particular circumstances. Olpin Union Room 159 | 801-581-8876”

The U has been transparent about its own limitations. 

In a statement sent to students of the College of Social and Behavioral Science, chair of the Division of Public Affairs David Carter wrote, “I also need to communicate that the Division of Public Affairs and the University of Utah have no authority when it comes to the administration’s immigration determinations, and few pathways to aid or intervene when administration representatives make a decision that impacts one of our students. As such, I encourage you to take heed of the University’s advisement, particularly as it relates to international travel.”

The state of Utah has not made a statement on student deportations, although the Cox administration previously pledged to support the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

As various agencies collect data on student visa revocations, it’s unclear when or why these revocations will stop. Moreover, the rules for “self-deportation” remain unclear, guidance coming from Customs and Border Protection.

In a statement, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said “The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream. If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return.”

The DHS further outlined their rationale.

“Self-deportation is the safest option for illegal aliens, while preserving law enforcement resources,” the DHS said. “Not only is it safer, but it also saves U.S. taxpayer dollars and valuable Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) resources to focus on dangerous criminal aliens.”

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