Top headlines of the week, April 4 2025
Here are some stories you may have missed on Dispatch.com and in the Columbus Dispatch newspaper.
- Five Ohio State University students have had their visas revoked, the university confirmed.
- The Trump administration issued an executive order earlier this year prompting a full review of all visa programs.
- The administration has particularly targeted pro-Palestinian students amid ongoing protests on college campuses.
Five Ohio State University students have reported having their visas revoked by the Trump administration, the university said late Friday afternoon.
The students are among a growing group of international students who are left in limbo following this latest action by the Trump administration.
The federal government has also revoked students visas at other Ohio universities.
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A “small number” of students at the University of Cincinnati reported having their visas revoked Thursday, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer, also part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Kent State University President Todd Diacon said in an email Friday afternoon that one current international student and three recent graduates with post-graduate work permits had their visas revoked by federal authorities.
Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson said one student reached out to the university after they discovered their visa was revoked. University leaders then discovered multiple other students whose status had changed.
“At this time, we do not have any indication why this action was taken,” Johnson said. “The students remain in the United States. The students, their attorneys and Ohio State are considering next steps.”
A number of students at universities nationwide have also had their visas revoked.
The Trump administration issued an executive order earlier this year, prompting the State Department to review all visa programs and ensure foreign nationals do not pose a threat to national security, a spokesperson for the agency told USA TODAY.
The Trump administration has particularly targeted pro-Palestinian students amid ongoing protests on college campuses across the country.
According to the university’s autumn 2024 enrollment census report, more than 6,000 international students are enrolled across Ohio State’s campuses.
Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at shendrix@dispatch.com and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.