CSUN has confirmed that an undisclosed number of international students have had their student visas terminated. Marta Lopez, Director of CSUN’s International Exchange Student Center (IESC) and on behalf of Vice President for Student Affairs William Watkins, sent an email on April 23 confirming that during the first week of April, the university had received notice that the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) recorded a number of international students terminated.

The SEVIS is the digital tracking system managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to monitor international students, exchange visitors and their dependents.

“During the first week of April 2025, CSUN learned that the SEVIS records of a number of our international students had been terminated. A terminated SEVIS record typically indicates that a student is no longer in compliance with the terms of their status, which may result in the loss of their legal ability to remain in the United States,” Lopez wrote.

The exact number and reasons for student visas being revoked have not been disclosed to protect the privacy of CSUN’s international student body. CSUN and the International Exchange Student Center (IESC) serve nearly 2,000 international students from across the globe who are pursuing their degrees and education in the U.S.

“We are committed to protecting the privacy of our students and, in accordance with applicable laws and university policies, do not publicly disclose individual student information,” Lopez wrote in the email.

An update from the California State University (CSU) system’s website confirmed that, as of April 15, 2025, 70 CSU students’ visas have been revoked since the start of the year.

The recent news of student visas being revoked in the CSU system has begun circulating fear throughout CSUN’s international student body.

Anmol Bajaj, a CSUN International Student from India and a Cinema and Television Arts Major, shared recent developments that have created a growing sense of fear and uncertainty. He is scheduled to go back home to India for summer break, but is unsure if he will be able to return to CSUN.

“With such little time left [in my degree], if I go back and am not able to come back, those efforts would be in vain,” Bajaj said. “I do now at least have this constant fear over my head that if I maybe do something out of the ordinary, it might flag me.”

This information coincides with the Trump administration’s national crackdown on student visas in universities across the United States. According to data compiled by Inside Higher Ed, as of April 23, 2025, approximately 1,818 university students nationwide had their visas revoked.

These actions follow an executive order from the White House signed on January 20, 2025, which calls for heightened vetting of international students and directs federal agencies to screen for “hostile attitudes” and potential national security threats.

“Basically, you just need to not show your opinion at this point so that your visa does not get revoked,” said Raf, a CSUN graduate student who declined to provide his last name due to fear of retaliation from ICE. “Even now, I need to be really careful what I talk about because I don’t know if it can be used against me.”

Former Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who currently serves as Secretary of State, has publicly taken credit for over 300 of those visa revocations, citing involvement in pro-Palestinian protests as a key factor in what they claim to be an effort to “fight antisemitism.” One of these students includes Rumeysa Ozturk, pursuing a doctorate at Tufts University, who ICE officials detained following an Op-Ed in the school’s newspaper criticizing the university’s ties to Israel.

While much of the national coverage has focused on pro-Palestinian student protesters being targeted, the scope of the visa revocations appears to extend much further.

Another article by Inside Higher Ed found that many of the international students impacted have had no ties to activism or political speech. Visa terminations have reportedly affected international students who interact with law enforcement, including minor traffic violations that typically would not warrant immigration consequences.

Uday Khilare is a graduate student from India and the president of CSUN’s International Student Community. He said that while he hasn’t been personally impacted, the situation has caused fear among many international students. He explained that even small issues, like a friend getting a parking ticket in your name, can create anxiety, as students worry that such minor infractions might lead to visa consequences.

“There is a little bit of nervousness that this might happen to us… but if you’re not doing anything wrong, it’s not going to be a problem,” Uday Khilare said.

Khilare says that advisors from the IESC have helped support students who feel anxious regarding the news of visa terminations.

“Advisors are helpful for [easing our nerves about getting student visas revoked] Like whatever questions they have, if you’re missing your home, you can come and talk to them. That’s it’s that– that reliable process. Other professors as well, few of my professors also, take care of things,” Khilare said.

The IESC provides international students with resources such as individualized advisement sessions, immigration guidance webinars and coordination with academic departments or other campus offices.

“CSUN is committed to ensuring that every international student receives the guidance, resources and care needed. The International and Exchange Student Center remains dedicated to its mission of serving CSUN’s international student population and will continue to do so through strong partnerships with students, faculty and staff across the campus,” Lopez wrote.

For additional information on upcoming webinars and International and Exchange Student Center resources, visit their webpage.