President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration has hit the University of Wyoming.
Chad Baldwin, spokesperson for the school, confirmed to Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday that “a few” international students have had their visas to be in the United States revoked.
“When that eventually leads to deportation, I’m not sure,” he said in an email.
Baldwin was not immediately able to provide a number on just how many students have had their visas revoked and said federal immigration officials have not communicated with the university about the reasons for revocations.
He said “with some certainty” that there has not been any detainment of a student on campus yet since the Trump Administration rescinded a former President Joe Biden-era policy that protected certain areas — such as churches, school and hospitals — from immigration enforcement.
“UW cooperates with federal agents when they come to campus, reviews any requests, subpoenas or warrants presented by federal agents; and responds as required under the law,” Baldwin said.
UW Already Preparing
Baldwin also said federal immigration officials have not communicated with the university about why the visas were revoked, which appears to be in line with what’s happening at universities across the country.
The school has provided guidance to employees on potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) visits, telling staff to not interfere, but also to ask for ICE agents’ credentials and reject any subpoenas or warrants on behalf of anybody else.
Baldwin said this is a public document for anyone to use, and it was distributed to supervisors to give to their employees, specifically public-facing staff.
Baldwin said law enforcement officials have come to the campus in the past, and the Office of General Counsel or the UW Police Department have been notified to ensure the UW is following the law during these visits.
On average, Baldwin said UW is contacted by ICE about once every few years.
“This guidance memorializes this process, educates our employees on the scope of their authority and addresses updated federal guidelines,” Baldwin said.
State Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, is a part-time professor at UW who worked with the U.S. Department of State from 2003-2006. It was around this time that former President George W. Bush’s administration was purging student visas in response to the 9/11 attacks.
While with the Department of State, Rothfuss visited a lab in China as part of an agency trip, where Chinese members of the lab thanked the Americans for their policies that led to the lab picking up many people who had their visas revoked.
“They said they hadn’t had that many great scientists in their labs in a long time,” Rothfuss said. “The reality is these are the students that are winning the Noble prizes. For us to do this, it’s putting the isolation on us.”
National Revocations
According to the Associated Press, at least 600 students at more than 90 colleges and universities have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated in recent weeks, according to a review of university statements and correspondence with school officials.
Advocacy groups collecting reports from colleges say hundreds more students could be caught up in the crackdown.
An email shared with Cowboy State Daily shows that the UW Human Resources Department hosted a meeting Monday on campus for a “special Discussion and Q&A Forum focused on immigration-related updates and their impact on our institution.”
The meeting was only open to faculty and staff and included information for faculty and staff who currently hold H-1B or permanent resident work authorization and those who hire or support international employees.
Advice at the meeting included:
• Learning about recent immigration updates and how they may affect processes and procedures at the University of Wyoming.
• Gaining insight into how these changes are being managed across departments such as HR, the Office of General Counsel, and International Students and Scholars Office.
• Asking questions and hear from subject matter experts.
• Receive helpful tips and recommendations moving forward.
Trump Cracks Down
Trump has pursued a crackdown on immigration that initially focused on those in the U.S. illegally.
However, several international students have been caught in the crosshairs as the Trump administration argues their pro-Palestinian activism constitutes support for Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Other international students have reportedly had their visas revoked for past infractions such as traffic violations, according to the AP.
The Trump administration has defended revoking the visas.
"There is no right to a student visa,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters March 28. “We can cancel a student visa under the law just the same way that we can deny a student visa under the law. And we will do so in cases we find appropriate.”
International students have reportedly been allowed to maintain their legal residency status after having their visas revoked, only having their ability to travel in and out of the U.S. impacted.
Students in at least 30 states have had their visas revoked, according to NBC News, which said the government is using a foreign policy statute from 1952 to justify the cancellations.
The Department of Homeland Security lists several circumstances under which the government may revoke a student visa, including absence from the U.S. for five months or longer, expulsion, unauthorized employment and failure to enroll, among others.
On Monday, a lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Georgia alleging that ICE unlawfully used the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System to strip students of their legal status despite their continued compliance with visa terms.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
