ADDS RESPONSE FROM STATE DEPARTMENT, BACKGROUND
By Yasin Gungor
ISTANBUL (AA) - The US has revoked more than 6,000 student visas so far this year due to overstays and various violations of the law.
The vast majority of the violations involved assault, driving under the influence (DUI), burglary and “support for terrorism,” a State Department official told Anadolu.
The official said around 4,000 of the visas were revoked due to violations of US law.
An additional 200-300 visas were revoked under Section 3B of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which broadly defines terrorist activity as actions that threaten human life or break US law.
In several high-profile cases, the US has cited supposed support for terrorism to try to deport students who say that in fact they were instead peacefully voicing support for the rights of Palestinians.
The crackdown forms part of Trump's broader "America First" immigration agenda featuring increased vetting requirements including social media disclosure and enhanced monitoring for activities deemed contrary to US national security interests.
Many students, lawyers and right activists say the “supporting terrorism” and “contrary to national security interests” justifications are often used as a pretext to target students who support Palestinian rights and other causes not favored by the Trump administration.
More than 1.1 million international students were enrolled in US colleges during the 2023-24 academic year, according to data from the Open Doors report published by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the US State Department.