Canceling Visas for Foreign Students Involved in Violent Campus Protests

More than 3,000 students and other protesters were arrested during campus protests which spread on campuses in April and May 2024. Some of the protesters were suspended or expelled by their universities. Among these students were foreign nationals, whose presence in the US is based on student and other temporary visas. In a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the US Immigration Agencies, Shurat HaDin demanded immediate action to revoke visas of foreign students and other foreign nationals who violated the terms of their visas by participating in violent campus protests and antisemitic incidents. The letter also raised concerns as to the potential breach of immigration regulations by university staff members: Designated Student Officers (“DSOs”) in every university hold a duty to report such foreign students’ actions and academic status. The letter called upon federal officials to investigate if DSOs have failed their reporting duties and, if so, to act accordingly to withdraw the relevant institutions’ Student and Exchange Visiting Program (SEVP) certification, which allows them to accept foreign students.