Amnesty International urges US to stop revoking foreign student visas – JURIST
Amnesty International urged the US Department of Homeland Security to stop revoking the visas of foreign students in a letter-writing campaign Tuesday. The demand comes in light of the substantial rise in deportation proceedings initiated by the US government against students, particularly those protesting against human rights violations in the US or the Gaza Strip. Amnesty said that there is an increased targeting of persons based on their national backgrounds.
The letter template argues that the Trump administration’s “repressive tactics and the summary revocation of people’s immigration status … demonstrate an utter lack of respect for their human rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, due process and to be free from discrimination.” It highlights the case of Mahmoud Khalil, a student at Columbia University with permanent residency, who was detained by immigration officials for participating in campus protests against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. On March 27, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the revocation of more than 300 student visas over the demonstrations, threatening those who were “vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus.” The total number of visa revocations may now stand at over 1,300.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, at 8 U.S.C. 1251(a)(4)(C)(i), allows the Secretary of State to deport any noncitizen whom he has reasonable grounds to believe poses potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the US. The US government has broad discretion over the visa revocation process. However, immigrants to the US retain the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and due process. Amnesty points out that the government’s discretion has been exercised in ways that contravene those rights.
Amnesty International has previously noted that the US’s immigration detention systems fail to meet international standards, reporting that the legal aid and detention conditions are subpar.
