Immigration and Customs Enforcement reversed “most” of GW students’ revoked visas after President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday restored thousands of international students’ legal statuses, the University confirmed Saturday.
ICE has restored the Student Exchange and Information System status for “most” of the international student visas that the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies revoked since the onset of President Donald Trump’s second term, a University spokesperson said on Saturday. The restorations follow the Trump administration’s decision Friday to reinstate the legal status of thousands of international student visas, marking a policy shift after mass revocations in recent weeks.
Officials announced in a weekly “federal update” email on Thursday that the University is aware of four current students and six recently graduated students who have had their visas terminated by federal agencies. The University spokesperson did not specify which or how many of the current or graduated students’ visa statuses have been restored.
“We will continue to monitor the SEVIS status of our international students as well as further administration developments,” University spokesperson Shannon McClendon said in an email.
The SEVIS database is a system universities use to determine international students’ immigration statuses. Since Jan. 20, federal agencies have deleted the SEVIS records for over 4,700 international students nationwide, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
More than 1,800 international students and recent graduates from over 280 universities nationwide have faced visa revocations since Trump took office in January, according to an Inside Higher Ed tracker. The State Department has revoked visas from students at universities across the country over the past few weeks due to their alleged involvement in campus protests against the war in Gaza.
The Trump administration’s reversal comes amid a flurry of lawsuits from international students who received minimal explanations for their visa revocations. The administration signaled that the reversal is temporary and records are being reinstated as the administration continues to work on a framework for reviewing and terminating international student visas.
“We have not reversed course on a single visa revocation,” Homeland Security Department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said. “What we did is restore SEVIS access for people who had not had their visa revoked.”
Provost Chris Bracey said at a Staff Council meeting last week that the University began monitoring student visa updates earlier this spring to better understand “what’s happening” with international students and faculty. He said the number of students with revoked visas at GW had stayed “relatively constant” since the University began tracking revocations.
University spokesperson Julia Garbitt earlier this month said officials continue to assist students affected by visa terminations and provide immigration and safety information to students and community members. She said the University is aware that the revoked visas have caused “concern and anxiety” within GW’s international community.
“The University continues to encourage community members to take advantage of available mental health and wellness support services, including GW Counseling and Psychological Services for students and the Employee Assistance Program for faculty and staff,” Garbitt said in an email earlier this month.
