Market News
Panic as U.S. cancels visas of over 901 international students, including Nigerians - BUSINESSDAY
A wave of panic has swept across United States college campuses as federal authorities abruptly cancelled the visas and legal status of hundreds of 901 international students, including Nigerians, without prior warning or explanation.
At least 901 students from 128 colleges have been affected so far, according to a review by the Associated Press.
The true figure may be even higher, advocacy groups warn, as more cases continue to emerge.
While the majority of affected students are reportedly from India and China, immigration attorneys say no region is being spared.
“This started out seeming like a glitch, but now it’s coming fast and furious,” Matthew Maiona, an immigration attorney based in Boston, said.
The cancellations, which appear to be linked to minor violations in many cases, including traffic infractions, have blindsided students, some of whom were only weeks away from graduation or starting employment.
Four students in Michigan have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, alleging they were not given any reason for their sudden status termination.
Similar legal battles are playing out in other states, with some judges in New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Montana temporarily restoring students’ legal status.
In a departure from standard procedures, universities are now finding out about the terminations directly through the government’s immigration database — often before the students themselves receive any notification.
The lack of official communication from the U.S. State Department or the Department of Homeland Security has only deepened the anxiety.
Some students have been advised to leave the country immediately, while others are choosing to stay and file appeals, hoping to avoid detention or deportation.
Many now carry their immigration documents at all times and have altered their routines out of fear.
“It’s scary. You don’t know if you’ll be the next one”, a Chinese Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill”, said.
With no clear answers in sight, students and universities alike remain on edge, caught in an immigration clampdown that few saw coming.
