The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, has announced that a number of international students have had their visas revoked by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2025. The university discovered these visa terminations after conducting checks in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a system used to track student and exchange visitor information.
According to UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes, the university had not received prior notification regarding the visa changes. He explained that the institution only became aware of the revocations following proactive checks in the SEVIS database, as they were not informed directly by the authorities.
While UMass has not disclosed the reasons for the visa revocations or identified the affected students, similar incidents have been reported at other U.S. universities. Institutions such as Arizona State University, Cornell University, North Carolina State University, the University of Oregon, the University of Texas, and the University of Colorado have all experienced similar visa revocations without prior notice from the federal government.
U.S. officials have suggested that some of the international students impacted by the revocations may be linked to protests or other activities considered a concern. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that students involved in protests or activities related to “potential criminal activity” were under scrutiny. Recent arrests, including those of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil and Iranian doctoral student Alireza Doroudi, have highlighted the issue. Doroudi had his visa revoked in 2023 and was arrested in March on national security grounds. Similarly, the arrest of Turkish Ph.D. student Rumeysa Ozturk earlier this year has raised questions about the government’s approach to students involved in anti-Israel protests.
In response, UMass Amherst has confirmed that it will continue to monitor the SEVIS database for further updates. Chancellor Reyes expressed regret over the timing of the announcement, stating that he wished to inform the community as soon as the information became available.
This incident follows a similar occurrence earlier this week, when the president of Minnesota State University in Mankato reported that five international students had their visas revoked. This was discovered after reviewing the database of international student statuses, following an incident involving a Turkish student at the University of Minnesota.