Reference Message Network reported on April 18 that according to a report from Spain's "El Mundo" website on April 16, Spanish students and interns holding American residency permits have recently condemned that they are victims of mass revocation of residency and work permits without proper justification.

"The reason for the revocation of your residency permit is because your name appears in the criminal record or your visa has been canceled," this was the explanation given by the US government to Angela, a Spanish intern whose residency permit was revoked and returned to Spain.

"Life has made a complete 180-degree turn. I can no longer go back after finishing work on weekends." Angela, who was interning at a startup just days ago, came to the United States last year to pursue a graduate course in an international program at the University of California, Berkeley.

This young lady insisted that the usual procedure for canceling such permits is due to "serious issues," such as major violent crimes. She said, "Even so, if your visa is canceled, your student status remains valid, and you can legally stay in the US." However, her experience and that of hundreds of other students in the US over the past few weeks were not like this. She said, "What they are doing now is canceling both your visa and legal status simultaneously. Then you become an illegal immigrant."

It was reported that in recent weeks, the actions of the US in arresting illegal immigrants and revoking visas have intensified, with media outlets like CNN and The Washington Post beginning to discuss the issue of "mass" cancellation of student visas. Angela said, "This mass event has been happening for one or two weeks, affecting many students. Immigration lawyers don't even know how to handle the current situation because it's unprecedented."

According to the Financial Times, with the Trump administration intensifying its crackdown on universities, more than 500 foreign students' US visas have been revoked in recent weeks. Over 170 schools have confirmed that more than 1000 international students and recent graduates' "legal status has been changed by the Department of State."

Facing uncertainty, those affected are indignant about the authorities' silence. "I didn't even receive official information from the government telling me that my visa had been canceled," Angela protested. However, many foreigners discover at airports that they are prohibited from entering.

Many students have filed lawsuits attempting to defer the implementation without any justification for canceling their visas. In this way, although the visa is canceled, the student status can still be retained to continue staying in the US. Additionally, there is another route: class action lawsuits, though slower in speed, have begun to gain scale on many online forums.

Other sources told reporters that these procedures began before Trump took office. Initially, the arrest operations seemed to target nationals from Latin American countries. Angela said, "But now it's completely arbitrary," because "I haven't posted anything on social media, haven't expressed any political stance in any way, let alone committed any misdemeanor, not even a traffic ticket."

According to a report from Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao website on April 16, the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers said that since mid-March, reports have been received regarding the revocation of international students' and scholars' visas, the termination of records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), and even arrests or detentions. As of April 14, nearly 1300 such reports have been received.

The US Department of Homeland Security manages and tracks international students and visiting scholars through SEVIS. The termination of SEVIS records also means that the international student's legal status in the US immediately becomes invalid, and they must leave within a specified time frame (usually 15 days) or take measures to restore their status as soon as possible.

US Secretary of State Rubio confirmed this action by the government at the end of March, saying that the government's target is those involved in "activities contrary to US national interests."

The Trump administration is using the Immigration and Nationality Act to deport non-US citizens whose activities conflict with US foreign policy and national security interests, which is also part of Trump's commitment to crack down on anti-Semitism. Many of those whose visas have been canceled have participated in some form of pro-Palestinian activity. However, more and more cases show that international students with no connection to anti-Semitic or related protests may also have their visas revoked.

Previously, The New York Times reported that Rubio has also requested strict scrutiny of applicants' social media, especially checking for anti-American remarks. (Translated/Mary Liu)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7494518804240663090/

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