Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:40 p.m. on April 14 to clarify that the message was sent by OU and not on behalf of President Joseph Harroz Jr.
OU sent a mass email to students, faculty and staff Monday afternoon addressing concerns related to various reports of Oklahoma international students having their visas revoked.
The email states that OU administration is working closely with those impacted but did not give a clear number of students affected at OU.
“The Office of Global Engagement, through its International Student Services team, is in coordination with several university departments across academic and student support areas,” the email reads. “We are also communicating with federal partners and monitoring updates through relevant agencies to better understand the scope and process surrounding these actions.”
The email directs students, faculty and staff members to visit the university’s frequently asked questions page for additional information about immigration and other policies.
While the number of potentially affected students is unclear in Norman, eight Oklahoma State University students had their immigration records terminated by the U.S. government, according to The O’Colly, Oklahoma State’s student newspaper, in a report published Tuesday. In Edmond, the University of Central Oklahoma confirmed to KOCO that four students had their visas revoked. In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Christian University told KFOR two of their students had their visas revoked.
The Trump administration has reportedly unexpectedly revoked visas of international students nationally. Schools across the country that have reported having students with a terminated legal status include Harvard University, Stanford University, the University of Michigan, the University of California at Los Angeles and Ohio State University.
Visas and SEVIS
Kelli Stump, an Oklahoma immigration attorney and owner of Kelli J. Stump PLLC, told OU Daily there is a difference between visa revocation and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System termination.
According to Stump, when an international student is issued their visa, their university registers them under the SEVIS program, which is overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The only entity that can revoke visas is the Department of State, though entities like the Department of Homeland Security can terminate a student’s SEVIS status. Stump said she is hearing and seeing cases of both situations, but what is primarily happening right now is the Department of Homeland Security terminating student SEVIS status.
Stump said there are instances where students are losing their visas, or SEVIS status due to exercising free speech rights in regard to pro-Palestinian protests, though she has not seen that in Oklahoma. Instead, Stump said students in Oklahoma losing their SEVIS status are ones who at some point had a brush with law enforcement.
According to The O’Colly, seven OSU international students got their visas revoked due to some criminal activity, ranging from a speeding ticket to previous arrest.
“I talked to one individual who has an 18-year-old DUI,” Stump said. “It happened 18 years ago, and they terminated him out of the SEVIS program, even though he's renewed his visa multiple times over the past couple of years.”
Once a student has their SEVIS status terminated, they are eligible to receive “a notice to appear,” which is the official serving document for removal proceedings.
According to Stump, the notice to appear informs the student that they have failed to maintain status, therefore their registration was terminated from the SEVIS program, making them unlawfully present in the United States.
“That's their purpose …,” Stump said. “To put you before a judge, to remove you from the country.”
Stump said in the past if a student lost their SEVIS status, they could, if eligible, re-register and file for reinstatement, or return to their country of origin and have their visa status resolved by their respective embassy.
“Now, we're afraid to do that …,” Stump said. “We don't know if the Department of State is going to work with us on reinstating, or reissuing a visa for them to come back.
Students who have their visas revoked are eligible to be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the basis of their visa being revoked and be put into removal proceedings.
“It's just one foot in front of the other, first you terminate or revoke, and then you try to remove, but you have to get them out of status to make them removable …,” Stump said. “I'm like, ‘Oh, is this next? Are we going to start seeing this?’”
Stump said moving forward, she will have to contemplate whether to sue the Department of Homeland Security for unlawful termination, or work with the universities to help get students reinstated.
“The lawyer in me is like, step one, make them unlawful in the United States,” Stump said. “Step two, remove them for that reason.”
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure. Sophie Hemker copy edited this story.
