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UO students, faculty react with fear, frustration amid federal visa crackdown

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by Tiffany Lewis & KVAL.com StaffWed, April 9th 2025 at 7:35 PM

Updated Wed, April 9th 2025

EUGENE, Ore. — University of Oregon students and faculty are reacting after the Department of Homeland Security revoked three more student visas.

At least four students face deportation, but Homeland Security has not provided a definitive reason for the visa revocations. Nationwide, outlets report concerns over student visas as the federal government implements a sweeping crackdown on immigration.

‘Fear and chaos’ — that’s how one UO journalism professor described the atmosphere on campus. Meanwhile, the federal government is tightening its grip on political activities across the country that it deems antisemitic and a threat to national security.

In March, Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student and political activist, was detained, and DHS revoked his visa due to Khalil’s involvement in pro-Palestinian rallies.

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It remains unclear whether the deportation of the UO students is directly related to protests and activities led by the UO Students for Justice in Palestine chapter last school year, during which their protest encampment lasted nearly a month.

“Anger, frustration, just like overall sadness for them too…” said UO Senior Emily Long.

UO Senior Allie Carmicheal added, “I feel like I didn’t believe it when I first heard about it, but of course it’s going to happen here. It’s absolutely awful.”

Long and Carmicheal are still wrapping their heads around Tuesday’s news on the revoked student visas for international students.

A university statement says they did not get advanced warning ahead of the decision to cancel the visas.

Students now have 15 days to leave the country, unless they have another legal pathway for remaining in the U.S.

Campus community members say they’re shaken up and want the university to protect students.

Long says, “Students should be able to come here and get an education, get a degree, go to their classes and feel safe.”

Students for Justice in Palestine and their faculty advisers have organized an Emergency Student Immigration Defense Fund for legal fees.

As of Wednesday afternoon, over 16 thousand dollars have been raised via go fund me.

Torsten Kjellstrand, a professor at the UO School of Journalism and Communications says, “We don’t have a playbook… most of us have never dealt with anything like this before.”

Another student, Tyler Murakami says, “We’re here to learn and make experiences in our life, and I don’t think that politicizing it or using unnecessary force is very productive.”auto640x360, 1164kbps854x480, 1714kbps1280x720, 3364kbps0.25×0.5xnormal1.5x2x

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UO has not shared details about who the students are, saying they were told the visas were revoked due to unspecified criminal charges.

There were more than 800 international students at UO as of last fall.

Across the country, the Trump Administration has revoked nearly 300 student visas.

In January, an executive order was signed to crack down on “pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation” as well as “anti-Jewish racism in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities.”

As uncertainty spreads across campus, UO’s community is left asking – who’s next? And what comes after?

We also reached out our lawmakers for their reaction these developments.

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Senator Ron Wyden sent us the following statement:

Given the Trump administration’s dismal record of both failing to follow the law and of embarking on a cavalcade of student deportations, there’s every reason to be concerned about the rights of these students attending the University of Oregon.

The fact that Trump officials haven’t even bothered to inform the university of details about these students raises even more questions that I’ll work with the school to get answered.