The legal status of 15 Texas A&M international students has been changed in a government database as of Wednesday afternoon, putting their ability to stay in the U.S. into question. The number is increasing and stood at nine on Monday morning and 11 by Tuesday, with the university noticing the first change on March 28.  

Of the 11 A&M students impacted as of Tuesday, eight are currently enrolled, and three have graduated and remained on a visa using one of several post-grad options available. Ten are graduate students, one is from the Galveston campus and the nine graduate students from College Station are split equally between the Colleges of Engineering, Arts & Sciences and Agriculture & Life Sciences. 

In an email to faculty, staff and students sent Wednesday afternoon, Provost Alan Sams said A&M officials “do not have clarity on why these records are being terminated.”

Here’s what to know. 

The federal government seems to be targeting international students with any semblance of a criminal record, no matter how small 

In an email obtained by The Battalion, director of A&M’s International Student and Scholar Services, or ISSS, Samantha Clement said the government’s listed reason for the status changes was that the student was “identified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked.” 

The Associated Press also reported that after three Aggies had their visas terminated, university officials who looked into the cases found that each “had long-resolved offenses on their records, including one with a speeding ticket.” A university official said the students had not committed any dangerous offenses known to the university. 

In a State Department press conference Tuesday morning, spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to share the criteria being used to target students but said it was being “applied appropriately.” 

“We don’t discuss individual visas because of the privacy issues involved,” Bruce said. “We don’t go into statistics or numbers. We don’t go into the rationale for what happens with individual visas. What we can tell you is that the department revokes visas every day in order to secure our borders and to keep our community safe, and we’ll continue to do so.”

Other international students at multiple U.S. universities who have had their visas revoked have been involved in campus activism, largely pro-Palestine advocacy. However, it remains unclear whether those affected at A&M had similar affiliations. Axios reported that more than 300 international students nationwide have had their visas revoked in recent weeks. 

The federal government is not communicating or working with the university

Clement said the federal government was changing students’ legal status without notifying A&M or those impacted, forcing A&M to monitor students’ statuses throughout the day. When the university notices a discrepancy, officials get in contact with the student as quickly as possible to inform them of their options. 

“This is an unprecedented situation being faced by nearly all U.S. institutions at the same time, so we are essentially figuring it out as we go along,” Clement wrote in the email. 

If a student’s status is changed, they have options available

If a student is notified that their legal status was terminated, they are no longer allowed to work in the U.S. or re-enter if they leave the country. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents may also investigate to confirm that the student has departed, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Students and their dependents must either leave the U.S. upon notification or reapply for legal status, which would allow them to stay enrolled at A&M until a decision is made. In the email obtained by The Battalion, Clement said that one A&M international student had left the country as of Monday morning. 

“Multiple students and attorneys are filing lawsuits,” Clement wrote. “Others are recommending students file reinstatement applications with [United States Citizenship and Immigration Services]. ISSS will support students with their preferred option.”

A&M has noted an increase in scam attempts toward international students

Clement noted that her department is seeing an increase in “scam attempts” targeting international students alongside an increase in “anonymous individuals submitting reports to ISSS about the allegedly unlawful activities of others who happen to be international students or scholars.”

ISSS has also been notified that several international students have received an email from the U.S. Consulate that issued their visa “indicating that it has been revoked, and they may be subject to deportation proceedings.” However, as of Tuesday afternoon, those students’ legal statuses haven’t been changed. ISSS is reaching out to support those students as well. 

ISSS is monitoring changes that may impact students sponsored through the Fulbright Program

Beyond the legal status reversals, ISSS is also monitoring policy changes affecting international students sponsored through the Fulbright Program, a government exchange program for graduates seeking a master’s or doctoral degree in the U.S. 

Because the Institute for International Education, or IIE, which helps manage Fulbright students, is no longer processing post-graduation academic training, it has raised concern among those close to graduating and already working about their next steps, as IIE won’t process work authorization extensions. IIE is posting the latest updates here. 

Here’s what the university is doing in response

Last week, ISSS launched a new webpage for immigration policy updates, and the department is developing an internal process for adding and maintaining its content. ISSS is also emailing important information to those who may be impacted, including updates about maintaining legal status and scam attempt warnings. 

Clement noted that ISSS is also coordinating with other campus units to schedule and promote Q&A and support sessions for international students and scholars. They’re also coordinating with the Office of General Counsel and the University Police Department to “develop a policy for agency inquiries, such as what to do if ICE visits campus.” 

ISSS is also developing internal procedures for managing the increasing number of ICE-initiated legal status terminations.