Visas revoked for four international students at flagship Montana universities

Three international students attending Montana State University had their F-1 visa status revoked “under the authority of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” MSU said in a notice Friday to the campus community.

One international student from the University of Montana also had their F-1 visa revoked, a UM spokesperson said. However, that student has graduated and is living out of state.

The F-1 visa generally allows nonimmigrant international students to enter the country as a full-time student at an accredited institution and enroll in a program that culminates in a degree, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Stephanie McCalla, chairperson of the MSU Faculty Senate, said Friday she had not yet spoken with any students who are affected, but she and other faculty are upset at the news.

“These are members of our community, and they’re being ripped away for no apparent reason,” McCalla said.

A story earlier this month from Inside Higher Ed said the Trump administration is revoking student visas every week, and it appears federal immigration officials are also terminating their student residency status, “paving the way for arrest and deportation.”

MSU in Bozeman has an estimated 400 students from 64 countries, and the vast majority of them are on F-1 visas, said spokesperson Tracy Ellig in an email.

Ellig said the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act prohibits the university from providing additional information, such as where the students with revoked visas are from, their enrollment status or their ability to remain on campus.

In her message to the campus community, President Waded Cruzado said the three students from MSU whose visas were revoked have been notified and received information regarding their status and available resources.

“The university will follow all applicable laws while exercising the necessary duty of care to our students,” Cruzado said in the email.

She said MSU was sharing the information with the campus “given the heightened attention to the topic.”

“We value every student in our campus; this appreciation includes our international students who make Montana State University their university of choice,” Cruzado said.

UM spokesperson Dave Kuntz said the university has 145 students on F-1 visas and 29 on J-1 visas. J-1 visas are for nonimmigrants participating in an exchange program, according to the U.S. Department of State.

UM has students from roughly 50 different countries.

Kuntz said UM learned of the changed status because it checks the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System database, where those records are stored, on a daily basis.

He said federal officials have not relayed information to UM about the change in status, and the database does not offer explanations for the change in status.

The Inside Higher Ed story said some university and immigration experts are concerned “the Trump administration is playing fast and loose” with the visa system, and it’s hindering the ability of campuses to help students “who may be targeted by ICE.”

The U.S. Department of State could not be immediately reached for comment late Friday afternoon, but a State Department spokesperson had told Inside Higher Ed it is helping keep the country safe.

“The State Department revokes visas every day in order to secure America’s borders and keep our communities safe—and will continue to do so,” the spokesperson wrote to Inside Higher Ed.

A spokesperson for the Montana University System could not be immediately reached Friday by phone for wider impacts to other public campuses. The MUS has 16 public colleges and universities in Montana.

Keila Szpaller is deputy editor of the Daily Montanan, a nonprofit newsroom.