San Diego, California – A growing controversy over student visa terminations reached UC San Diego this week, as five international students had their F-1 visas abruptly revoked, and a sixth was detained at the border and deported to their home country, according to a campus-wide announcement from Chancellor Pradeep Khosla’s office on Friday.
In the message to the UCSD community, Chancellor Khosla stated that the university received “no prior warning” of the visa terminations and that federal officials have yet to provide an explanation. The school has pledged to work directly with the affected students to offer support during what it called a “distressing and uncertain time.”
The UCSD Guardian, the student-run campus newspaper, was the first to report the story. Requests for comment from the newspaper and Chancellor Khosla’s office have so far gone unanswered.
The University of California system, which includes 10 campuses across the state, issued a statement acknowledging the visa issues extend beyond UC San Diego. “The University of California is aware that international students across several of our campuses have been impacted by recent SEVIS terminations,” the statement said. “This is a fluid situation… We are committed to doing what we can to support all members of our community.”
SEVIS — the Student Exchange Visitor Information System — is a federal database managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It is used to monitor international students and ensure compliance with visa conditions. When a visa is terminated in SEVIS, students can be denied entry into the country or even deported, as happened to one of the six affected UCSD students.
The move follows a broader national trend. According to the Associated Press, federal agencies have recently revoked hundreds of student visas, with some allegedly linked to criminal behavior or campus protests. Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the State Department had revoked over 300 visas. “We will do so in cases we find appropriate,” he said.
The visa cancellations have drawn criticism from civil rights advocates and immigration groups, who say students are being punished without due process or clear reasoning. At UC San Diego, the uncertainty continues as the university seeks answers and students grapple with the fallout.
