One current student and four alumni of San Francisco State University have been impacted by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
The current student, who was nearing completion of their degree, had their visa revoked, according to an email sent out by President Lynn Mahoney. Academic Affairs is working with the Division of International Education to assist in finding alternative ways to complete the degree.
All four former students who recently graduated were participating in the STEM OPT work experience program.
SFSU is another university added to the growing list of institutions across the nation where international student visas are being revoked. Neighboring Bay Area schools like Stanford University, UC, Berkeley and San Jose State University have also been affected.
“This is a new and unprecedented situation no one has ever been in before, that is hard to advise because the information is constantly changing,” said Marilyn Jackson, Assistant Vice President of the Division of International Education. “But what we can do is invite international students to our office hours, to Zoom meetings, to email us and we will always be as transparent about what we know and what we don’t know and we realize that sometimes we don’t have satisfying answers because again, the situation is always changing.”
On Monday, the Dream Resource Center, in collaboration with I.D.E.A.S., hosted a “Know Your Rights” training workshop led by Immigrant Legal Defense attorney Adhemir Romero.
Immigrant Legal Defense is a nonprofit that serves students, staff, faculty, immediate family members and recent alum at nine California State University campuses and 34 California Community Colleges.
The workshop thoroughly went over the rights of those who reside in the U.S., including individuals who are immigrants or international students here on visas.
“Everybody present in the United States has the same rights. The laws apply equally to everybody. We’ve seen this administration detain residents, detain citizens, deport citizens,” said Romero. “It could happen to anyone so everyone should know their rights and everybody should know how to exercise their rights and feel comfortable doing so.”
According to the Division of International Education, International Students made up about 8.3% of the total student population in Spring 2024. About 3.5% of undergraduate enrollment is international students, while 11.25% are a part of postgraduate enrollment.
The CSU gave an update on the status of visa revocations as of last week, stating that it is working with campuses and is continuing to provide assistance to all students in need.
“The CSU is committed to the well-being and success of all our students and celebrates the rich diversity of backgrounds and perspectives that our international students contribute to the CSU,” the CSU’s weekly update post said.
As of April 15, a total of 70 CSU students have been impacted by visa revocations since the start of the year, according to the CSU’s weekly update.
Victor Ramos, a third-year student at SFSU, said the CSUs should be focusing on bigger issues across its campuses.
“They’re worried about individuals who are able to be on this campus for sometimes more than one semester,” Ramos said. “When they should be worrying about current issues that are going on on campus like budget cuts and program losses from athletic departments.”
A third-year international student from Japan, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of government retaliation, said he chose to come to SFSU because of the diverse culture in the city and on campus, as well as the school’s good business program.
“I understand what the government is doing, but at the same time, I have a right, we have a human right to be here,” the student said. “Our visa is for studying. I chose to come here for my education, so I am feeling sorry for those who have been affected.”
