CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) – Three Harvard students and two recent graduates have had their visas revoked, the university confirmed Sunday.
The university said it learned of the revocations during a routine records review and notified the students before referring them to legal assistance. In a statement, Harvard said, “We are not aware of the details of the revocations or the reasons for them, but we understand that comparable numbers of students and scholars in institutions across the country have experienced similar status changes in roughly the same timeframe.”
The statement continued, “Harvard deeply values the international students and scholars who travel here to learn and grow. The talent they bring to campus each day increases our ability to advance world-class discovery in fields that have meaningful impact on people’s lives, while creating positive relationships and discourse that expand the horizons of people across our community. We are committed to continuing to support them.”
Northeastern University and UMass Amherst have also reported that several students on their campuses have had their visas revoked recently and their student status terminated. Both institutions said they were not notified or given reasons why the visas were revoked.
Last month, Tufts University graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested by masked ICE agents near her Somerville apartment. The Department of Homeland Security said she was detained for “engaging in activities in support of Hamas,” but has not provided details or charged her with any crimes.
Ozturk is being held in a detention facility in Louisiana, but a federal judge in Boston is transferring her case to Vermont.
With the recent news on Harvard’s campus, the American Council of Education is demanding answers.
The council sent a letter to Sec. Marco Rubio and Sec. Kristi Noem saying “we seek clarity amidst reports that student visas are being revoked and records are being terminated without additional information being shared with the institutions those students attend.”
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