The Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown on student visas has hit home for Webster University: More than 20 international students have had their visas revoked or their student exchange records terminated.
University officials tell The Journal 18 students on the Webster Groves campus and six students from the San Antonio campus lost their visas on April 11. In addition, their Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records have been purged from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security database.
The federal crackdown is believed to be part of the administration’s plan to target students suspected of being involved in pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses.
In January 2024, a group of Webster students staged a walkout on campus in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. The university has not confirmed whether any of the impacted students were involved in any protests on- or off-campus.
Webster director of public relations Patrick Giblin confirms records belonging to the affected students can no longer be found in the SEVIS database, the system used by Homeland Security to track foreign exchange or “nonimmigrant” students.
As of fall 2024, Webster had 2,646 international students at its St. Louis campus and 927 in San Antonio. More than 3,000 of the university’s international students are graduate students.
Giblin says Webster is working closely with the students through its International Recruitment and Services office. The university is also seeking more information from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program regarding next steps. Giblin notes some of the affected students have also contacted immigration attorneys for further assistance.
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