At least 11 visas revoked at Long Island’s Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University has confirmed that at least 11 international students from the university have had their visas revoked as part of a nationwide crackdown by the Trump administration. Additionally, dozens of students at other SUNY schools have also had their visas revoked.

Stony Brook officials have not disclosed any information about the affected students or whether they were involved in pro-Palestinian protests that have led to visa revocations at other schools.

Stony Brook University, which had over 3,800 international students enrolled this year, is working with the impacted students and the state to provide legal assistance and guidance to those affected.

“We are monitoring this evolving situation and working with campuses to ensure our students know their rights,” said Holly Liapis, a SUNY spokesperson.

“Stony Brook University is monitoring this evolving situation closely and working with SUNY and our state partners to ensure affected students know their rights, are connected with the New York State Office for New Americans for legal support, and understand their options to continue their education,” the school stated.

While other schools on Long Island such as SUNY Old Westbury and Hofstra University have not reported any visa issues, 21 students across the SUNY system have reportedly had changes to their visa status in the past couple of weeks, as per Newsday.

It is unclear how many visas were revoked and whether these actions were related to campus demonstrations.

At the University at Buffalo, officials announced that four current students and nine recent graduates had their visas revoked.

CUNY reported that 17 international students had changes to their visa status, while Fordham University confirmed that two of its students had their visas revoked, and they had no links to any campus protests, according to a school spokesperson.

The Trump administration has been cracking down on immigrant students, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that over 300 visas for students have been revoked, with some attributed to anti-Israel actions.

“No one’s entitled to a student visa,” Rubio said in a cabinet meeting.

“If you come to this country as a student, we expect you to go to class and study and get a degree. If you come here to vandalize a library, take over a campus, and do all kinds of crazy things, we’re going to get rid of these people,” Rubio added.

Former international student and current Stony Brook professor, Manisha Desai, expressed concerns over the visa revocations, stating that they are detrimental to the mental health of international students and hinder their ability to learn and contribute.

“It’s not good for anybody’s mental health, much less for doing the work you’re here to do — to learn, to contribute,” Desai said.