ASUI hosted an information session regarding recent visa revocations and the rights of international students on April 15. Geoffrey Heeran of the University of Idaho College of Law spoke at the session, providing attendees with information regarding their rights and guidance for the future.
Heeran expressed that, while immigration law is a very complex field, resources are available for international students should they need them.
After two UI students had their visas revoked earlier this month, concerns have been raised by many in the campus community. Graduate student Nick Koenig, in an article published by the Spokesman-Review on April 4, expressed worry that these revocations may have been due to participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
“I would never want to discourage anyone from engaging in their First Amendment-protected right to free speech in this country, and that includes social media,” Heeran said when asked about international students’ online presences. “But one of the things I said tonight is that there’s been a pattern of individuals having their student visas revoked and SEVIS terminated based on political activity, and in particular, what we’ve seen is persons having those things happen based on pro-Palestinian political activity.”
In January, President Trump issued Executive Order 13899, titled “The Executive Order on Combating Anti-Semitism” and focusing primarily on college campuses.
In a fact sheet on the matter, Trump said, “To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-Jihadist protests, we put you on notice: Come 2025, we will find you and we will deport you. I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.”
Heeran went on to express his support for international students at this time. “The UI College of Law Immigration Clinic represents individuals in certain types of cases, and [while] this is not typically one of those types of cases that we would normally take on, I want to extend my support to any students at University of Idaho who’ve had their visas revoked and offer to meet with them and talk about those issues.”
“I support our international students at the University of Idaho; they’re a really important part of our community,” Heeran said. “I also support the constitutional rights of immigrants in the United States, including the right to speak freely in this country, to have political views, and the right to due process and to have their visa only revoked for reasons that are legal reasons.”
Reach out to the UI Immigration Law Clinic at (208) 885-6541 for further questions and guidance.
Julia Kolman can be reached at [email protected].