Student visas have been canceled over minor traffic violations, sparking backlash from international students and prompting over 65 lawsuits nationwide.
On April 18, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued a temporary injunction nullifying visa revocations for 133 international students, who claimed their traffic-related citations—such as illegal left turns, parking infractions, or DUIs—should not have led to visa cancellation. Among the plaintiffs were five Korean students, most of whom had only minor traffic records.
Only one student, from New York, had been arrested for theft, but the case was not pursued by prosecutors. Despite the relatively minor infractions, the affected students received visa cancellation notices between April 6 and April 8 from their schools, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
More Than 1,800 International Students Impacted Since 2024
A report published by Inside Higher Ed on April 24 revealed that more than 1,800 students and recent graduates holding F-1, OPT, or J-1 visas have had their visas revoked since the beginning of the second Trump administration.
These figures were compiled based on university statements and media reports, showing that students from at least 280 institutions nationwide have been affected.
California Leads in Visa Cancellations
California recorded more than 170 student visa cancellations, accounting for around 10% of the nationwide total. The affected schools include:
- UC System (~100 students)
- UC San Diego: 35
- UC Berkeley and UC Davis: 23 each
- UCLA: 12
- California State University (CSU) System: 21
- Fullerton: 8
- Long Beach: 6
- San Jose State University: 13
- Foothill–De Anza Community College: 9
- Santa Monica College: 9
- Stanford University: 6
- California Institute of Technology: 4
- Chapman University: 3
- Pasadena City College: 2
- North Orange County Community College: 2
- San Diego State University, San Mateo County Community College, and Los Rios Community College: 1 each
Student Protest Involvement Also Under Scrutiny
Separately, the U.S. Department of State has also revoked visas of students allegedly involved in anti-Israel or pro-Hamas protests. On March 27, Secretary of State Mark Rubio stated that over 300 individuals may have lost their visas due to participation in campus demonstrations. He emphasized that students who vandalize property, harass others, or occupy buildings would be denied visa privileges.
However, Inside Higher Ed questioned the scale of the revocations, reporting that many students were not informed of the specific reasons behind their visa cancellations.
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]
