NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – Rutgers University has become the latest battleground in the Trump administration’s crackdown on international students accused of supporting terrorist activities, with around a dozen students facing visa revocation and potential deportation.
The move, part of a broader policy targeting noncitizens involved in pro-Palestinian activism, has sparked outrage among students, faculty, and civil rights advocates who argue it violates free speech protections.
On April 9, Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway issued a statement condemning the “chilling” termination of visas for approximately 12 international students at the university.
While Holloway did not disclose specific details about the affected students, he noted that the university has been in contact with them, offering support through the Rutgers Immigrant Community Assistance Project at Rutgers Law School, which provides free legal consultations for immigration-related issues.
“The effect is understandably chilling to our international community,” Holloway wrote, emphasizing Rutgers’ commitment to its diverse student body, which includes thousands of international students and scholars.
The State Department, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has revoked at least 300 student visas nationwide since President Trump’s January 30 executive order aimed at combating what the administration calls an “explosion of anti-Semitism on our campuses and streets” following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleges that the targeted students, including those at Rutgers, have engaged in activities supporting Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. However, no public evidence has been provided to substantiate these claims against the Rutgers students, mirroring a pattern seen in other cases across the country.
Similar incidents have been reported at universities like Columbia, Tufts, and Georgetown, where students such as Ranjani Srinivasan, Rumeysa Ozturk, and Badar Khan Suri have been detained or deported for alleged ties to Hamas.
In many of these cases, the accusations stem from participation in pro-Palestinian protests or advocacy, activities that students and their legal representatives argue are protected under the First Amendment. For instance, Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts, was arrested on March 26, 2024, after co-authoring an op-ed calling for divestment from companies tied to Israel—a move DHS labeled as support for Hamas, though no criminal charges were filed.
Trump and the federal government argue that acts of support for terrorist activities qualify for removal.