Photo: WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — International student visas are being terminated at unprecedented rates across U.S. universities and colleges, including in Massachusetts.
Harvard announced Sunday night that three undergraduate and two graduate student visas were revoked by the federal government. The school’s International Office said they connected affected students with legal assistance.
In a statement to WBZ NewsRadio, a Harvard spokesperson said that “this is not unique to Harvard at all and appears to be taking place all over the country, at both public and private institutions.”
UMass President Marty Meehan provided an update to WBZ NewsRadio on Monday, saying he is "aware of 15 students across five campuses whose student visas were revoked, and in many cases the students’ legal status to remain in the United States." Six attend UMass Amherst, seven are students or recent graduates at UMass Boston, one student goes to UMass Dartmouth and another one attends UMass Lowell.
In addition to Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University graduate student detained in Louisiana, Tufts has also reported that another graduate student has had their visa terminated.
Read More: Federal Judge Moves Case Of Detained Tufts Student To Vermont
“We informed the student and directed them to outside immigration resources for support,” a Tufts spokesperson told WBZ NewsRadio in a statement. “We are still gathering information and have no additional details at this time.”
As of Monday, Emerson College and Northeastern University have also been impacted by the student visa terminations, but it was unclear how many. According to the Berkeley Beacon, President Jay Bernhardt alerted the community to "at least one" student's visa being terminated.
Harvard, Tufts, Northeastern, Emerson, and UMass all said the federal government failed to provide a reason for the revocation.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.