US: Rubio says he may have revoked 'more than 300' visas over pro-Palestine campus activism

The U.S. State Department may have revoked more than 300 visas, a figure disclosed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This news will undoubtedly send shockwaves through the international student community, sparking widespread attention and concern. The potential impact on academic exchange programs and international collaborations is significant.

Rubio stated on Thursday that the Trump administration is searching for "these lunatics" every day, following the detention and visa revocation of a Turkish student by federal immigration authorities. According to Reuters, Rubio said at a press conference in Guyana: "It's probably over 300 now. We're doing this every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I'm canceling their visa." He added: "I hope one day we'll get them all cleared out because we've gotten rid of all of them, but we're looking for these saboteurs every day." The ongoing efforts to identify and remove individuals deemed a threat reflect a heightened level of scrutiny.

Rubio's remarks were in response to a question about Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish student. She was detained near Boston on Tuesday by masked and plainclothes agents. Rubio confirmed that the State Department revoked Ozturk's visa, stating that Washington would revoke any previously issued visas if students engage in activities such as "disrupting universities, harassing students, occupying buildings, creating riots." However, Rubio did not specify whether Ozturk had participated in these activities. The justification for the visa revocation raises questions about the balance between national security and academic freedom.

Ozturk's friends believe she may have been targeted online due to a co-authored opinion piece she published in the Tufts University newspaper last year. The article reiterated a call for the university to adopt a resolution from the Tufts Community Senate to "acknowledge the Palestinian genocide, apologize for University President Sunil Kumar's statement, disclose its investments, and divest from companies directly or indirectly linked to Israel." The potential link between her activism and her detention highlights the growing tensions surrounding pro-Palestinian advocacy on college campuses.

Ozturk's detention is the first known instance of the Trump administration arresting a student in the Boston area in relation to immigration matters. The Trump administration has detained or attempted to detain several foreign students legally residing in the United States, who are accused of participating in pro-Palestinian protests. The latest to be targeted by federal immigration agents is an Iranian doctoral student. These actions are part of a broader trend of increased scrutiny and enforcement against foreign nationals involved in political activism.

The Iranian student is Alireza Doroudi, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He was reportedly taken from his home around 5 a.m. on Tuesday. The reason for the student being targeted is currently unclear. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website shows that an Iranian with the same name is being detained, but does not specify the location. Doroudi's Facebook profile indicates that he studied metallurgy at Amirkabir University of Technology, one of the highest-ranked universities in Iran, which only admits the top one percent of students taking the national university entrance exam. The background and academic credentials of the detained student underscore the potential impact of these actions on talented individuals.

University of Alabama spokesperson Alex House stated in a statement to Middle East Eye that a doctoral student had been detained, but did not disclose the student's name due to "federal privacy laws." "The University of Alabama recently learned that a doctoral student was detained off campus by federal immigration authorities," she said. "Federal privacy laws limit the information that can be shared about individual students. International students studying at the university are important members of the campus community." The University of Alabama's student newspaper, The Crimson White, first reported Doroudi's detention on Wednesday afternoon. The university's response reflects the delicate balance between respecting privacy laws and addressing concerns within the campus community.

The Crimson White reported that Doroudi entered the United States in January 2023 on a student visa, but his visa was revoked six months later. Doroudi contacted the university about the matter and was told that "he could legally remain in the United States as long as he maintained his student status." Earlier this month, Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate of Columbia University, was arrested in New York by federal immigration officials. He holds U.S. permanent residency. He has not been charged with any crime and is currently being detained in Louisiana. Yunseo Chung, also a Columbia University student and a permanent resident, is also facing a deportation order, but U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald issued a temporary restraining order against the federal government on Tuesday. These cases highlight the increasing uncertainty and legal challenges faced by foreign students and residents in the current political climate.