Four Case Western Students' Visas Revoked as Trump Continues Crackdown on Universities

Pro-Palestine protestors at the Kelvin Smith Library Oval last year. A visa crackdown led by the State Department has seemed to zero in on Palestine sympathizers on college campuses. Credit: Mark Oprea

Four international students at Case Western Reserve have had their student visas revoked in the past few days by the State Department, emails sent to students confirmed, in the latest local development in the Feds’ crackdown on campuses across the country.

From the end of March to April 12, four students had their status terminated for the State Department’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, CWRU President Eric Kaler confirmed in an email on Sunday.

The students’ countries of origin weren’t disclosed, nor were the reasons behind the moves.

Kaler had warned students back in February about needed changes to kowtow to Trump’s anti-DEI mandates, which culminated in replacing Case’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Engagement with a new Office for Campus Enrichment and Engagement, in March. (Which, so far, seems to have kept federal funds flowing.)

Yet, on Sunday, Kaley tried to reassure students that Case would not be bowing down to the same revocations that have impacted at least 17 students total, Scene found, at four universities across Ohio, from Akron, to Ohio State and Kent State. Cleveland.com reported Tuesday that number’s as high as 45.

And at least 800 students so far across the country, the New York Times reported on Monday.

“I know how disconcerting this might be for many in our community,” Kaler wrote.

He echoed a February letter suggesting that international students could wrangle legal help: “International students, faculty, staff and postdocs are and will continue to be an essential part of the Case Western Reserve community,” he said.

Some student visa revocations seem to be centered on foreign students connected to pro-Palestine protests; others for alleged crime of some sort—even if they’ve never actually been convicted.

A spokesperson for Case did not confirm or deny whether the four students with terminated visas were any of the dozen charged with felonies earlier this year for allegedly vandalizing Case Western’s campus with red paint in midst of pro-Palestine protests last October.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly told press that he’s harnessed a hardline approach to kicking foreign students out for apparent antisemitism. Last month, Reuters reported that the State Department has begun using AI to scan the social media accounts of international students, as to deem their connection to pro-Palestine sympathy.

“We do it every day,” Rubio said at a conference in March. “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas.”

The U.S. Constitution protects anyone on U.S. soil legally—with a green card to U.S. citizenship—and allows them to peacefully protest and speak freely without a cloud of deportation hanging over their banners. That is, of course, if no laws are objectively broken.

“The issue here is the lack of due process,” Patrick Espinosa, an immigration attorney in Painesville, told Scene.

Espinosa cited a client of his whom was arrested years ago. He had his charges dropped, and was never convicted of a crime. Nevertheless, his visa was revoked. “No hearing. Nothing,” Espinosa said. “He can apply for reinstatement but it’s likely not a good outcome.”

Sabiola Cini, an attorney at Margaret Wong & Associates in Cleveland, said the same outcome awaits the four students at Case Western. The State Department hands out visas on an at-will basis, she said, meaning that a “court has no jurisdiction” over them.

“The Department of State can revoke them anytime,” she said. “They’re discretionary; you cannot appeal the decision.”

In other words, a visa revoked is a visa revoked for good.

Which hasn’t kept Kaler from keeping a kind of legal hope alive.

In his April 12 letter, the president suggested that Case’s VISA Office and its Division of Student Affairs was working with at least one of the international students with a revoked visa, he said, “to provide support, and where possible, legal options.”

He then recommended all international students, faculty, staff and postdocs cancel all travel outside of the country.

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