North Texas universities see highest numbers of student visas revoked statewide

Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Apr 10, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

FORT WORTH, Texas — Two North Texas universities have seen the highest numbers in the state of international students having their visas revoked, according to the industry news site Inside Higher Ed.

The University of Texas at Arlington and the University of North Texas in Denton top the list with 27 student visas revoked at each institution.

A UTA spokesperson said in a written statement to the Star-Telegram that the university “is aware that the visa status of 27 enrolled international students have unexpectedly changed in recent days.”

“UTA officials are contacting affected students to provide information and support based on each student’s circumstances and preference,” the spokesperson said.

A UNT spokesperson said that as of April 9, eight undergraduate and 19 graduate students have had their records removed from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a database kept by the Department of Homeland Security. This removal essentially terminates a student’s legal status in the country.

The university “is monitoring the immigration status of its international students,” the spokesperson said. She did not respond to follow up questions about how the revocations might affect tuition revenue, research and other university functions.

Following UNT is the University of Texas at Dallas, where 19 international students had their visas revoked.

“This is a fluid situation, and we are communicating with affected students about the changes in their status as soon as possible,” a UT Dallas spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The Star-Telegram reached out to representatives of TCU, the University of Texas at Arlington and the Texas A&M Law School, but did not receive immediate responses.

Inside Higher Ed used state and local media reports to map revocations of student visas across the country.

Texas A&M had seen 15 international students at its College Station and Galveston campuses have their visas canceled as of Wednesday, according to reporting by the Texas Tribune. But that number had risen to 19 by Thursday morning, a university spokesperson said.

“The university’s International Student & Scholar Services team has been in contact with the affected students, and ISSS has been in communication with the international student and scholar community on campus to provide appropriate information and support,” the university said in an emailed statement. “Texas A&M follows all federal and state laws, while ensuring a campus culture that supports every Aggie every day.”

Next came the University of Texas at El Paso, where 10 student visas were revoked.

Other Texas universities affected include the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas Tech University and UT Austin, with four, three and two visas revoked.

A UTSA spokesperson said two current students and two former students participating in a post-graduation work experience program had been told their visas were revoked.

“Our Office of Global Initiatives continues to monitor the situation,” the spokesperson said in a written statement.

Representatives of UTEP, Texas Tech and UT Austin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 27 that his agency had revoked 300 or more student visas. He said the State Department has the right to revoke them due to students’ alleged participation in campus protests, CBS News reported.

He called the students “lunatics” and accused them of lying to get into the country.

Inside Higher Ed reported that most university officials say they are unsure of why their international students are seeing their visas revoked, and that most of the affected students have not received communications from immigration authorities about the cancellations.

The revocations in Texas and elsewhere across the country follow the high-profile detentions of foreign-born students who have expressed opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil on March 8 for what the administration of President Donald Trump has said was his support for the terrorist group Hamas. Khalil participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University last year. He is a legal permanent resident who holds a green card and is married to a U.S. citizen.

Rumeysa Ozturk, a citizen of Turkey who was studying for a doctorate degree at Tufts University in Massachusetts, was arrested by ICE agents on March 25. She wrote an op-ed in the university newspaper asking the institution to divest from companies with direct and indirect ties to Israel.

Khalil, Ozturk and other foreign students who have been detained were sent to detention facilities in Louisiana.