Trump’s immigration crackdown reaches Texas campuses, revoking status of international students

President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration enforcement campaign is being felt on Texas campuses, where at least two major universities have confirmed that international students have had their temporary legal status revoked in recent days.

Texas A&M University reported Tuesday that the federal government had terminated the records of 15 students listed in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), the national database used to track foreign students in the U.S. Once a SEVIS record is terminated, the student’s legal status in the country is effectively ended.

A spokesperson for Texas A&M said that the university's International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) team had been in contact with the impacted students and was “providing appropriate information and support,” while reaffirming the university’s commitment to federal compliance and a “campus culture that supports every Aggie every day.”

Similarly, the University of Texas at Austin confirmed in a statement to The Texan that the visa status of multiple international students “unexpectedly changed in recent days.” According to the Associated Press, at least two students at UT Austin had their SEVIS records terminated.

While details remain scarce, reports suggest that some revocations stemmed from minor infractions. At Texas A&M, three students reportedly lost their status over “long-resolved offenses,” including one involving a speeding ticket. At UT Austin, at least two terminations were linked to “criminal records checks,” though specifics were not disclosed.

The Department of Homeland Security oversees SEVIS, which monitors over a million international students annually. The system allows institutions to report changes in student status, including enrollment and any visa violations.

A New Phase of Campus Immigration Enforcement

These developments come in the wake of President Trump’s return to the White House and a series of new executive orders intensifying immigration enforcement and scrutiny of university campuses.

During his first term, Trump signed Executive Order 13899, aimed at protecting Jewish students from discrimination under civil rights laws. His second term has seen the expansion of that order into broader measures intended to address what the administration describes as “rising antisemitism” on college campuses.

One of the most high-profile cases under the new directives is Mahmoud Khalil, a student activist and leader of pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University. Citing national security concerns, the administration moved to revoke Khalil’s student visa, invoking a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows deportation when a foreign national’s presence is deemed to have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a key figure in Trump’s immigration enforcement strategy, has confirmed that more than 300 student visas have been revoked under these new policies. He has pledged to continue targeting individuals accused of supporting Hamas or participating in what the administration labels antisemitic protests.

Although the Texas cases have not been explicitly linked to these actions, the timing and pattern suggest a broader federal effort to monitor and penalize international students involved in political activism, especially surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Campus Tensions and Fallout

Texas campuses have been at the forefront of national debates around student protests and free speech. UT Austin in particular saw large-scale pro-Palestinian demonstrations last year, which led to clashes with law enforcement and several arrests. Texas A&M also experienced similar demonstrations, including organized marches through campus.

While university officials have emphasized their compliance with federal law and continued support for students, advocacy groups are raising alarms. Civil liberties organizations warn that the administration’s current approach could have a chilling effect on student activism and academic freedom, particularly for international students who may fear deportation for engaging in constitutionally protected protest activity.

As of now, it remains unclear whether the Texas students' revocations are directly connected to campus activism or fall under unrelated administrative or legal grounds. The Department of Homeland Security has not issued a public statement addressing the recent SEVIS terminations in Texas.

With tensions mounting and more revocations potentially on the horizon, students, universities, and legal experts alike are bracing for what may be a long and uncertain road ahead in the intersection of immigration enforcement and higher education.