Earlier this year, colleges and universities across the country reported that the United States Federal Government was revoking international student visas without providing a reason. As of April, 280 different institutions reported that students’ legal status had been changed, Fordham included.

On April 4, President Tania Tetlow sent an email informing the Fordham community that a Fordham student’s visa had been revoked. The Ram received a statement from University Spokesperson Bob Howe that stated the University did not know the cause of the revocation. Over the following week, four total student visas were revoked.

Fordham and other institutions learned of these revocations by monitoring the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

In reaction to the revocations, the University signed an amicus brief challenging President Donald Trump’s executive orders that targeted international students. Fordham also launched a resources and guidance page for international students.

On April 9, Fordham students held a rally to protest Fordham’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies and show support for the student whose visa was revoked. Protestors expressed displeasure with Fordham’s reaction to the revocations. 

Universities and students nationwide filed lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s actions. After several court rulings, the federal government restored the students’ SEVIS statuses on April 25. All Fordham student visas were restored on April 27.

However, on May 13, the University shared that the U.S. Department of State had again started revoking students’ visas. This included two Fordham students, according to Howe.

The last update provided by the University was on July 16 and shared that F/J Visa Appointment Scheduling would resume, but would now include mandatory social media screenings. 

This is an updating story. Read The Fordham Rams’ continuing coverage on our website and in print.