🎓Arizona Immigration Crisis: Over 100 International Students Face Deportation as Trump Revokes Visas at ASU, UA, Pima CC

International students face deportations while administration denies due process, many just weeks from graduation

Apr 19, 2025

😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾

🎓🌎 International students who came to Arizona universities to learn and study are being told they can no longer stay in the United States. The government is canceling their special permission papers called visas, which they need to stay in the country legally. 🚫🛂 More than 100 students at Arizona State University have lost their visas, with some even being put in detention centers.

🏢🔒 Many of these students were about to graduate after years of hard work, and now they might have to leave without finishing their degrees. 📚💔 People in Arizona are working together to help these students by protesting, providing legal help, and asking the government to change its mind. ✊🤝📜🎓🌎

🗝️ Takeaways

🚨 More than 100 ASU students and fewer than 10 UA students have had their visas revoked, with numbers expected to rise as part of a nationwide crackdown affecting over 1,500 students at 240+ universities
📝 Many students received no explanation or justification for their visa revocations, often learning via email with no clear appeals process
👩‍⚖️ Legal challenges are mounting, with organizations like the ACLU and the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration filing lawsuits
💰 Universities face significant financial impacts as international students who pay full tuition rates face potential deportation
🤝 Community organizations, including Aliento, Puente Arizona, and the Florence Projec,t are mobilizing to provide support and legal services
✋ Concerned citizens can help by contacting representatives, supporting legal defense funds, volunteering their skills, amplifying affected voices, and standing in solidarity with international students

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Shadows at the Border: Arizona Students Face Visa Revocations Under Trump's Second Wave

The desert sun beats down on Arizona's universities, casting long shadows these days. Shadows not just from the iconic saguaros that dot our landscape but also from the looming threat of deportation facing hundreds of international students who suddenly find their academic futures—and their safety—hanging by a thread.

Aquí estamos, y no nos vamos. Here we are, and we're not leaving.

According to the United Campus Workers of Arizona, this resistance chant from the first Trump era echoes again across campus quads as more than 100 international students at Arizona State University have had their visas revoked since mid-March.1 The University of Arizona has reported fewer than 10 cases, and Pima Community College has confirmed at least one student's SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) record termination.2

A Pattern Emerges in the Desert

These aren't isolated incidents. They form part of a systematic, nationwide campaign by the Trump administration that has resulted in over 1,500 student visa revocations across more than 240 colleges and universities throughout the United States.3 The scale is unprecedented, with many students receiving no explanation, due process, or a clear path forward.

Michael Kintscher, president of the United Campus Workers of Arizona union, confirmed to reporters that "a little over 100 students have their visas revoked at ASU specifically, although we believe the number is much higher; that's just what we've been able to confirm so far."

For those unfamiliar with the complex web of immigration documentation, a revoked visa doesn't merely mean a student can't travel—it often leads to the termination of their SEVIS record, which effectively ends their legal status in the country.

Many affected students were set to graduate in May, seeing years of hard work and substantial financial investment evaporate with a single email notification.

Inside the Machinery of Exclusion

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been forthright about these actions, stating in a press conference that "every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa."4 The administration has revoked more than 300 student visas at the time of that statement in late March, with numbers now climbing past 1,500 nationwide according to the most recent data.

The revocations hit particularly hard in Arizona, where university communities have long histories of both embracing international students and fighting against state-level immigration policies like the notorious SB 1070.

What's most disturbing from my perspective as an Indigenous Chicano watching this unfold is the circular reasoning behind many of these cases. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has revoked many students' SEVIS status claiming they failed to maintain legal status—precisely because the State Department canceled their student visas. This bureaucratic trap leaves students with few viable options.

The Human Cost

The community advocates at Aliento, an organization supporting immigrant students, described the emotional toll this is taking. Students who once felt secure enough to focus on their studies now constantly check their emails, afraid to find a notice of visa revocation. Others carry their immigration documents everywhere, afraid of being detained without warning.

The affected students come from diverse backgrounds, with attorneys reporting that many originate from Middle Eastern countries, China, and India. At least three ASU students have faced time in immigration detention, with one student reportedly detained for more than 10 days.

Me duele el corazón. My heart aches thinking about these young scholars who came to our country seeking knowledge, offering their talents and perspectives to our educational institutions, only to be treated as threats rather than assets.

Their crime? Often, nothing more than their nationality or having participated in campus activism.

Behind the Veil of Authority

The most frustrating aspect of this situation is the lack of transparency. University officials frequently cite privacy concerns when asked for specific numbers. At the same time, federal authorities either remain silent or offer vague justifications like "revocations based on a criminal records check" without specifying what this means.

In many cases, according to attorneys representing these students, the "criminal records" in question might be nothing more than years-old minor infractions like a DUI—issues that would never result in such severe consequences for a U.S. citizen student.

Let's be clear: this is not about national security. This is about using immigration enforcement as a tool to silence dissent and feed a xenophobic political agenda. As the ACLU of Arizona policy strategist Noah Schramm stated, these visa revocations are "part of the Trump administration's disturbing efforts to silence dissent, target immigrants, and undermine the pillars of a free society."5

The Economic Self-Sabotage

Beyond the obvious human rights concerns, this crackdown represents spectacular economic self-sabotage. International students typically pay full, out-of-state tuition, providing essential revenue to our universities. Many study in STEM fields, contributing to research and innovation that benefits our entire society.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology president Sally Kornbluth warned that "the threat of unexpected visa revocations will make it less likely that top talent from around the world will come to the US—and that will damage American competitiveness and scientific leadership for years to come."6

For Arizona universities already facing budget challenges, the potential loss of international student enrollment could have severe financial consequences, potentially affecting educational quality for all students.

A Pattern of Resistance

This is not the first time Arizona has been ground zero for anti-immigrant policies. Those of us who lived through SB 1070—the "show me your papers" law—recognize the familiar patterns of dehumanization and criminalization of non-white immigrant communities.

But we also remember how we fought back, how coalitions formed between Indigenous communities, Chicano activists, immigrant rights organizations, and allies from across the political spectrum to challenge these policies in the streets, in the courts, and at the ballot box.

La lucha sigue. The struggle continues. And once again, we are seeing resistance take shape.

Organizing for Justice

Multiple legal challenges have emerged in response to these visa revocations. The Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, joined by 86 institutions and associations, has submitted an amicus brief challenging these actions. The ACLU is actively involved in several lawsuits against the administration's targeting of international students.

At ASU, students organized protests demanding that the university establish itself as a "sanctuary campus" where ICE cannot carry out raids or arrests. Although the administration has stopped short of this designation, they have been providing support to affected students, including legal resources and academic accommodations.

Local organizations like Aliento, Puente Arizona, and the Arizona Dream Act Coalition have mobilized to provide support for impacted students. The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, which provides free legal services to immigrants facing removal proceedings in Arizona, has expanded its efforts to assist students caught in this dragnet.

What Can Be Done?

If you're reading this and wondering how to help, here are some concrete actions you can take:

Contact your representatives: Call your senators and congressional representatives to demand they speak out against these visa revocations and push for transparency from federal agencies.
Support legal defense funds: Organizations like the Florence Project and ACLU of Arizona need financial support to provide legal representation to affected students.
Volunteer your skills: If you have legal training, language skills, or simply time to offer, many organizations need volunteers to help navigate this crisis.
Amplify affected voices: Share stories (while protecting privacy) of students impacted by these policies to counter dehumanizing narratives.
Stand with international students: Attend rallies, contact university administrators to demand protection for international students, and create supportive community spaces.

A Path Forward in Solidarity

The current situation may seem bleak, but I find hope in the coalitions forming to resist these unjust policies. When I see students of all backgrounds marching together in solidarity, I'm reminded that our communities have weathered xenophobic storms before.

I find hope in the legal challenges being mounted, in the professors standing up for their students, and in the ordinary people opening their hearts and homes to those affected.

Juntos venceremos. Together, we will overcome. This has always been the message of resistance in the borderlands. It was true during the first Trump administration, and it remains true today.

The solution to this crisis won't be found in fear or division, but in recognizing our shared humanity and standing in solidarity with those targeted by unjust policies. As the late Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva often reminded us, "We're all in this together."

What specific efforts would you like to see from Arizona universities to protect their international students? How can border communities best organize to resist these immigration crackdowns?