NEWARK, DE - The University of Delaware (UD) has confirmed eight UD-sponsored visa holders have had their records or visas restored after they were terminated earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
UD officials they first learned of the students’ revoked visas through a review of their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records or by learning of the terminations from the Department of Homeland Security. A UD spokesperson told WBOC on April 10 that the University had not been notified in advance and was not involved in the federal government’s decision to terminate the visas.
A spokesperson for UD says the eight visa terminations included three current students and five former students on post-graduation Optional Practical Training work authorization.
On April 30, UD officials confirmed that all eight of the students previously terminated SEVIS records had been restored.
"University staff are contacting the affected individuals and assisting them with next steps," a UD spokesperson said. "We will continue to closely monitor the SEVIS system for any further updates to student records."
WBOC also reached out to several other Delmarva colleges and universities for any potential student visa terminations. Salisbury University says no students in their SEVIS records have had their visa status terminated as of April 10.
“Salisbury University is monitoring the situation, as are most universities across the U.S.,” a Salisbury University spokesperson said.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore also said they'd had no visas terminated. Delaware State University did not immediately respond.
Numerous U.S. colleges have reported some international students’ visas being revoked unexpectedly, according to the Associated Press (AP), including Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, and Ohio State University. Though the Trump administration has focused on students affiliated with pro-Palestinian activism, colleges are seeing international students with no known connection to protests lose their visas, the AP reports.
University of Delaware officials said they were not aware of any UD community members being arrested, nor are they aware of any federal law enforcement presence on the campus in relation to the visa terminations.