Five University of Iowa international students have visas revoked

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Five University of Iowa international students have had their visas revoked by federal officials, according to a student union.

The union, Campaign to Organize Graduate Students (COGS), says visa revocations can be related to any criminal record, even for something as innocuous as a speeding ticket, or an infraction that has already been expunged.

The names of the students who had their visas revoked has not been released, nor has the reasoning behind the revocation.

In a message to students, the union said visas being revoked does not necessarily mean the students cannot stay in the country or that their student status is altered. Even if a student’s visa or status is revoked, there is the possibility of reinstatement.

Reinstatement may not be supported if the student has a criminal record and has been arrested, but if the infractions are minor, reinstatement may still be supported.

The union said the University of Iowa does not currently have a structure in place to notify the public about the number of students who have had visas revoked.

It’s unclear if the five students announced Tuesday includes the student who had their visa revoked last week. It’s a growing national trend of university students facing abrupt changes to their citizenship status.

“There’s been a lot of anger in the college campus community about this and I think it has a lot of people really scared.” said Clara Reynen, a member of COGS told TV9 last week.

The union is recommending that international students carry physical color photocopies of immigration documents at all times.

Any student who has their visa revoked or flagged should contact the UI Immigration Law Clinic and the UI International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) before self-deportation.

TV9 contacted the University of Iowa to confirm the details the union released. The university could only say it is aware of student who have been impacted, but could not provided any further detail, citing privacy reasons.

TV9 also contacted the US Department of State to ask why the visas were revoked and what it means for the students. A State Department Spokesperson shared the following statement:

The Trump Administration is focused on protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process.

Every prospective traveler to the United States undergoes interagency security vetting. Prohibiting entry to the United States by those who might pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety is key to protecting U.S. citizens at home.

As the Secretary indicated, the Department revokes visas every day in order to secure America’s borders and keep our communities safe -- and will continue to do so.

Because the process is ongoing, the number of revocations is dynamic. The Department generally does not provide statistics on visa revocations.

The Department of State will continue to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to enforce zero tolerance for aliens in the United States who violate U.S. laws, threaten public safety, or in other situations where warranted.