The Trump administration has temporarily stopped cancelling student visas, according to a report from the The New York Times. In our broadcast region, the University of Virginia remains the only institution affected by the revocations. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
The New York Times reported Friday that a federal lawyer announced in a court hearing that the government would stop revoking visas for international students while it worked on a new review system.
In our broadcast region, the University of Virginia announced on April 4th that one current student's visa had been canceled, and that school staff were in touch with the student. The Daily Progress then reported that at least 22 college students and alumni's visas had been revoked across Virginia. A UVa spokesperson did not tell the newspaper the student's identity or nationality, and added they did not know the reason for their status change.
WMRA contacted other universities in our broadcast region – Eastern Mennonite, James Madison, Longwood, Mary Baldwin, Shenandoah, Washington & Lee, and the Virginia Military Institute – all of whom said their students had not been targeted.
JMU sent us a statement saying, "University leadership is aware of an increase in immigration enforcement at campuses. At this time, we are not aware of any current students who have had their visa canceled. As concerns spread to faculty, staff and students, we will continue to provide support and resources to our campus community.”
Full disclosure, WMRA's operating license is held by JMU's board of visitors.
