University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern, UChicago students have visas terminated
7 University of Chicago students and recent graduates had their student visas terminated by the federal government; UIC and NU were also affected.
By Rob Hughes
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
CHICAGO (WLS) — Three current University of Chicago students and four recent graduates have had their student visas terminated by the federal government, the school said Wednesday. They’re now facing deportation.
The University of Illinois Chicago said several of their students are facing the same issue.
“The university is assisting each affected member of our international community with support, guidance, and resources to help them navigate these changes,” a UIC spokesperson said.
Students on UChicago’s campus Wednesday said they felt the revocation of student visas was a matter of time, and many said they fear for the safety and for the rights of their classmates.
The students and recent graduates had been in the U.S. on F-1 visas, the school said.
“It’s terrible. It’s very difficult to understand. I mean, the logic behind it is clearly punitive,” University of Chicago graduate student Rob Merges said.
Universities across the country are reporting similar terminations, including Northwestern University and Southern Illinois University. Neither the schools nor the government have given specific reasoning for the termination of visas.
However, some students believe UChicago’s reputation as a place for free speech and right to protest are under attack by the federal government.
“The point is to silence expression, to make it so people don’t feel free to state their positions on things,” Merges said.
Elijah Jenkins is UChicago’s student body president. He says it’s important as UChicago students to make sure their classmates with international backgrounds are heard.
“It’s really trying to make sure our student community is seeking out the international students who are concerned and being supportive and understanding. Although, they may not be American citizens, the idea of American first does not mean devaluing people who are not American citizens,” Jenkins said. “We are in tumultuous times. We don’t know what’s going to happen next. That’s the same feeling administration feeling, same feeling the students are feeling.”
UChicago said the Office of International Affairs identified the terminations during an audit of records.
“I have immense fear. My vice president, he’s Canadian, and so we released a statement on student government or Instagram today voicing this concern,” Jenkins said.
The university said it’s also offered to connect the affected people with immigration attorneys.
“The University of Chicago is committed to continued deep engagement and active exchange with international students, scholars, and visitors. The University has a long history of supporting America’s position as a magnet for talented people from across the globe, and we will continue to work to assist the members of our international community,” the school said in a statement.
And as the termination of visas leaves students vulnerable to detention and deportation, Sen. Dick Durbin is speaking out.
“Many of them are not charged with any crimes or the involvement in criminal activity or anything dangerous. They’re just being removed because they said things that are unpopular. I don’t believe that is a good standard. I think due process requires that if a person has violated the law, they pay a price to go after a person for simply stating a position is wrong,” Durbin said.
More than 18,000 international students occupy the classrooms of University of Illinois campuses across the state, each with an approved visa that allows them to legally study in the United States.
According to federal data, more than one million people are in the United States studying on student visas this school year.
According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Trump administration has revoked roughly 300 student visas and counting.
Rubio recently said he revokes students visas every day for people that the administration says are connected to certain student protests activities including vandalism and writing op-eds.