The visas of four international students at The New School have been revoked, the New School Free Press confirmed with university administration on Friday evening.

According to a statement from TNS in response to a request from NSFP, “The reasons for the revocations are unknown at this time but do not appear to be connected to protest activities on our campus,” and the administration did not have advance knowledge that the revocations would take place. While the university did not confirm when they became aware of the students’ change in status, The Associated Press reported the revocations this Thursday. 

TNS confirmed that the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) immediately notified the four impacted students and that “The university is assisting the students, including ways to complete the semester and connecting the students to legal resources.” The statement also noted that as of Friday evening, no other TNS students’ records have been adjusted and that the university is regularly monitoring student visa records to check for any changes. 

Universities review student visa records via the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a database administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that tracks nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors, including those on F-1 and J-1 visas.

Over 1000 international students’ visas have been terminated since late March, as part of several actions taken by the Trump administration targeting immigrants, international students, and higher education.

On Friday, a legal firm in Georgia filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration attempting to block the deportation of 133 international students from universities across the country. According to the filing attorneys, the terminations have occurred largely without clear reasoning and targeted students who have had any encounter with a police officer, not just student activists. 

This case is one of several others filed across multiple states attempting to block the deportation of international students. In many of them, federal judges have issued emergency temporary restraining orders mandating that the students’ legal status be reinstated and preventing immigration authorities from acting against them as their cases move forward in court.

TNS “does not release records that may disclose citizenship status to any law enforcement authority, absent a court order or legally enforceable subpoena.” This is in accordance with an FAQ published by the university regarding the campus community’s rights and responsibilities should Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers come to campus.

The guidance states that TNS does not permit law enforcement authorities to enter university buildings, including residence halls, to detain or possibly deport any student, staff, or faculty member based solely on their immigration status, without a court order. It also notes that if ICE officers do not produce a valid criminal warrant signed by a judge, students living in residence halls have the choice to refuse them entry into their rooms. 

The university offers services to international students should they require support or want to discuss concerns, via multiple offices on campus, including ISSS, the Office of Equity and Belonging, Student Support and Advocacy, and Student Health Services. 

Depending on the office, these resources may be accessed via phone, email, or an in-person appointment. Detailed instructions on how to contact them, as well as additional rights-related information, are available on the university’s Supporting Our Community webpage.