The federal government has terminated the immigration statuses of approximately six community members, according to a university webpage.
“The reasons given for such terminations are limited and Georgetown University was not informed of them by the government,” the update, which was posted on April 9, reads.
“The Office of Global Services is continuously monitoring all F-1 and J-1 student and scholar records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and will reach out to impacted students and J-1 scholars to provide information and resources,” the webpage states.
The update comes after the Department of Homeland Security detained Dr. Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown postdoctoral fellow, on March 17. Khan Suri is a researcher at Georgetown’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU) and an Indian national who is in the U.S. legally on an exchange visa. Many of Khan Suri’s students have deemed his detention to be retaliation for his free speech and his familial ties to Hamas.
9:27 p.m. update: International students express shock and fear over the news
An international student and freshman in the college, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to safety concerns, said that similar stories of students from other universities abruptly losing their visas without being given a reason have already inspired fear among international students.
“We’ve been hearing about cases pretty much all over the country, and I wasn’t really expecting it to be Georgetown this quickly for whatever reason. The fact that it’s happening here just makes it feel more real and scary,” the student told the Voice.
A second international student, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, expressed fear about their own immigration status.
“I personally don’t know whether I can leave the country and come back in August or if something is going to happen to me tomorrow morning and I’ll be without a lawyer. I have no idea how the Justice Department works here and I don’t have a lawyer here,” the student said. “I was really shocked because the Office of Global Studies didn’t give any reason and said they didn’t have any information about it, and I’m stressed that I might be the next person.”
The first student agreed that the lack of information around why the students lost their immigration status contributes to the fear in the international student community.
“The scariest part is probably just the lack of details and specificity, just the lack of information and the vagueness of the update,” the student said. “I, as an international student, would just like more information.”
The university has sent email updates and held information sessions in recent weeks for international students to learn more about their rights and safety, especially while traveling. Last week, on April 3, Georgetown’s Office of Global Services held a town hall titled, “Understanding the Current Immigration Environment, including Traveling, Rights, and Responsibilities,” where immigration attorneys spoke to students on their rights. More webinars and information sessions are coming.
In recent days, the federal government has revoked the visas of about 300 international students across the country. Many of these students have not been given a reason for their loss of status. Others have lost their visas or been arrested for their involvement in pro-Palestine activism or for minor legal infractions, often from years ago.
11:26 p.m. update: Comments from a university spokesperson
“We know that the current immigration climate for international students and scholars can be challenging to understand and navigate,” a Georgetown university spokesperson wrote to the Voice late Thursday evening. “Through Georgetown’s Office of Global Services (OGS), the university provides dedicated resources and support for our international students and scholars. OGS continues to closely track Executive Orders and federal agency directives.”
The spokesperson added that OGS posts information about immigration legal resources for members of the Georgetown community to better understand immigration policies and their own rights.
“Georgetown is also deeply committed to ensuring an academic environment where discrimination and harassment are not tolerated,” the spokesperson added.
