At least one international Emerson student has had their visa revoked, President Jay Bernhardt announced in an email to the Emerson community on Monday.
The student, who was not identified in the email out of respect for their privacy, was not believed to be targeted for protest-related activity, the email said.
Emerson is the latest institution to announce student visa revocations under the Trump administration. Northeastern University, Tufts University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Harvard University are among the Massachusetts schools experiencing a crackdown on foreign students, and similar actions have been taken nationwide.
“We ask for your patience and understanding in the days ahead as we actively manage these challenges while maintaining our unwavering commitment to remaining an inclusive and caring community,” Bernhardt wrote.
The president asserted that college leadership remains “vigilant in monitoring the evolving actions from the federal government that directly affects Emerson” and higher education as a whole. Bernhardt acknowledged that the country is in “an era of uncertainty” that has “accelerated and intensified” since his last community-wide update in February, which offered Emerson’s support for its transgender and nonbinary communities.
“As we enter this final month of the academic year, I encourage everyone in our community to do their best to remain focused on what matters most: academics, enrollment, and supporting one another,” he wrote. “I also urge our community to resist the external and internal pressures that seek to inflame and divide us.”
In a separate email sent by the Office of International Student Affairs on Monday, college officials said they are “proactively monitoring” the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) that tracks international students’ visa statuses. Students wishing to check their SEVIS status may log in to Terra Dotta to check the “SEVIS status” field. Students are also encouraged to carry their immigration documents and to familiarize themselves with their legal resources.
OISA will also host an immigration workshop with attorney Mary Walsh on April 11 at 3 p.m. on the topic “Executive Orders, Immigration Enforcement, and Border Inspections: What You Need to Know to Stay Informed.”
Anyone who is contacted directly by a federal agency regarding a visa revocation should contact OISA immediately.
Bernhardt’s email came nearly two weeks after Tufts graduate student Rumeysa Öztürk was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Somerville after co-authoring an op-ed in The Tufts Daily. Tufts President Sunil Kumar published a statement in support of Öztürk’s legal filings last week.
On Jan. 30, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pledging to cancel all student visas of “Hamas sympathizers on college campuses.”
Emerson is among 60 higher education institutions under federal investigation for alleged “antisemitism harassment and discrimination,” a move informed by the uptick in pro-Palestine protests on campus over the past few semesters. Last April, over 100 protesters were arrested in the 2 Boylston Place Alleyway after staging a four-day encampment in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
“Our community has made much progress over the past year, planning for the future and fostering an inclusive environment that respects and welcomes diverse backgrounds and perspectives,” Bernhardt wrote. “Together, we can navigate this era of uncertainty and remain on a steady path toward Emerson’s extraordinary future.”
Students seeking support should engage with the Healing and Advocacy Collective, the Emerson Wellness Center, and Student Care and Support. Faculty and staff are encouraged to use the Employee Assistance Program.
