In yet another indication of the Trump administration’s heightened focus on academic institutions and immigration enforcement, the US Embassy in India issued a warning to international students.
In an X post, it said, "If you drop out, skip classes, or leave your program of study without informing your school, your student visa may be revoked, and you may lose eligibility for future U.S. visas. Always adhere to the terms of your visa and maintain your student status to avoid any issues."
The warning applies to all Indian and other international students enrolled in universities across the United States.
Since January 2025, President Donald Trump, in his second and more assertive term, has already revoked the legal status of over 4,000 international students, and many a time without prior notice.
Most of these students from India, China, Nepal, South Korea, and Bangladesh have faced deportation threats due to minor infractions.
In certain cases, students had their visas revoked based on social media activity deemed supportive of Hamas or pro-Palestinian causes. In other cases, revocations occurred over relatively trivial reasons, such as traffic violations.
Former casualties
Ranjani Srinivasan, a doctoral student at Columbia University, self-deported following the revocation of her F-1 visa in March 2025.
The Department of Homeland Security alleged that she engaged in activities supporting Hamas by participating in a pro-Palestinian protest, a claim she denied.
Another Indian scholar at Georgetown University, Badar Khan Suri, was detained in March 2025, and his visa was also revoked.
The US accused him of spreading Hamas propaganda, which Suri denied and said he was being targeted for his wife's Palestinian wife's background.
However, Suri was released from immigration detention following a federal judge's ruling.