UTSA confirmed visa status changes for two current and two former students in a wider federal database sweep.
SAN ANTONIO — Two current and two former students at UTSA have had their legal status changed, university officials said. It is part of a wave of removals from a federal database that have swept across the state and the nation.
The university confirmed the legal status changes Thursday after it was reported that something similar had happened to students at multiple other colleges and universities across the state.
A UTSA spokesperson released the following statement:
“We are aware that two current students, and two former students who are participating in a work experience program post-graduation, have been notified that their visa status has been terminated. Our Office of Global Initiatives continues to monitor the situation.”
The Texas Tribune reports 19 students from the University of Texas at Dallas and 27 students from the University of North Texas were removed from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS database, according to university officials. Three students at Texas Tech University and four at Texas Women’s University also had their visas revoked.
Texas A&M University also reported that 15 current and former international students had their legal status changed.
Visa revocations prevent re-entering the U.S. but do not immediately end an individual’s status, but SEVIS removals do, limiting students’ options and causing a much more immediate effect.
The Department of Homeland Security released a statement Wednesday saying it would begin screening international students’ social media for “antisemitic” content. DHS’ statement cited two executive orders from President Donald Trump, described by the White House as aiming to crack down on “the explosion of anti-Semitism on our campuses and in our streets,” referencing pro-Palestine protests on college campuses.