As the federal government cancels hundreds of student visas, UTD’s own international population is now at risk after government officials revoked the visas of 19 UTD students, the same day the Department of Homeland Security announced it would begin screening immigrants’ social media accounts for “antisemitism.”
“Currently, it is our understanding that 19 enrolled students have had their immigration status terminated,” Phil Roth, a UTD spokesperson, said. “This is a fluid situation, and we are communicating with affected students about the changes in their status as soon as possible.”
The Office of Communications said it was unable to provide more details about the students’ situation as of publication.
On April 8, the school of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences sent an email to all its graduate students, advising them to avoid any kind of international travel unless absolutely necessary. EPPS cited a USA Today spring travel warning issued for college students and faculty and an Inside Higher Ed article about the Trump administration broadening the scope of student visa terminations.
“If you find it absolutely necessary to travel abroad, I recommend contacting [the International Students and Scholars Office] for guidance before making any arrangements,” the EPPS email said.
The ISSO focuses on providing students with resources related to employment, travel abroad, visas and connecting with attorneys. The Retrograde reached out to the ISSO for comment on best practices students can take during this time. As of publication, the ISSO has not responded for comment.
This is a breaking news story. The Retrograde will provide more details as new information emerges.
3 Comments
Thanks for this article. A lot of us in Collin County are wanting to find out more about what’s going on at UTD. We are getting just general information in articles from other media about student visa revocations in Texas. I look forward to more updates from The Retrograde. This DHS action is miserably cruel to the students affected, and very stressful for others who wonder if they’ll be next.
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