Updated: UMass Dartmouth sees seven international students reinstated

Seven visas at UMass Dartmouth were revoked in April by the federal government, but their status has since been reinstated on the Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems database, according to Ryan Merill, assistant vice chancellor of Strategic Communications & Media Relations at UMass Dartmouth.

The revocations were a part of a broader crackdown under the Trump administration’s renewed immigration policies. Thousands of international students across the country have had their visas revoked, with over 100 in Massachusetts alone. Legal action and public outcry have led to some status reversals, but students remain affected by these actions.

Approximately 780 international students from more than 50 countries attend UMass Dartmouth, and as of Thursday, April 24, one current student and six recent graduates had their visas revoked before the reinstatement, according to Merill.

He said while the federal government did not notify the university of these revocations, they are able to track the status of student visas through the Student and Exchange Visitor database.

“There’s not a lot of information attached to these,” he said, adding he cannot speak about what was said about any particular student, but noted, “There’s not a big explanation given.”

Across the country, this has largely been the case. However, some students have had their visas revoked due to the “Catch and Revoke” program, which uses artificial intelligence to identify those who have social media activity that reflects alleged support for Hamas, Palestine and/or perceived anti-Israeli causes.

Merill said the university has been providing support and resources to affected students. The current student whose visa was revoked was given the opportunity to complete their final semester of studies remotely prior to the reinstatement.

As for current students, a number of workshops and “lunch and learns” have been hosted so they can learn more about the revocation process and latest immigration issues. 

“I just think it’s important that our students, especially in the community, know that we are here for our international students,” Merill said. “We have an International Student & Scholar Center that works very closely with students on a day-to-day basis to offer them guidance and lend an ear to talk about what’s going on.”