At least 10 international students at CSU, CU have had their visas revoked this semester

• CSU had more than 2,500 international students from 110 different countries last fall.
• CU had 2,559 international students on its main campus in Boulder.
• At least six international students at Colorado State University and four at the University of Colorado have had their visas revoked by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security this semester.

At least six international students at Colorado State University and four at the University of Colorado have had their visas revoked by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security this semester, spokespeople for both universities said.

Tiana Kennedy, a spokesperson for CSU, said Wednesday that six of its international students have had their F-1 visas, commonly known as student visas, revoked. CU spokesperson Nikole Mueksch said a total of four students on its Boulder and Colorado Springs campuses have had their F-1 visas revoked.

Citing privacy concerns, Kennedy and Mueksch declined to provide any additional information about the impacted students, including their home countries.

In response to questions raised by published reports, including the Coloradoan's initial version of this story online, CSU Vice Provost for International Affairs Kathleen Fairfax issued a statement Thursday evening.

"CSU has not been contacted by, nor has the institution been asked to provide student information to, the U.S. Department of State or Department of Homeland Security," reads the statement that was posted Friday on an International Student Updates section of CSU's website. "To date, no specific justification for the visa revocations has been provided to the impacted individuals or CSU. We are working proactively with the students to help them connect with appropriate legal resources and understand their options. CSU is providing this support based on students' personal decisions."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, citing immigration law, said last month his agency had revoked more than 300 student visas from those found to be acting against national interests or to have been involved in a crime, the Arizona Republic reported Thursday.

Last week, Rubio cited a 1952 immigration law saying he intended to deport foreign students who “participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus,” the New York Times reported Tuesday.

Rubio’s comments came after video surfaced of a Tufts University graduate student from Turkey, Rumeysa Ozturk, being taken by immigration officers in plain clothes off a street in Somerville, Massachusetts, placed into a sport-utility vehicle and driven away, USA TODAY reported.

Michelle Stanley, CSU's interim vice provost for undergraduate affairs, told the Faculty Council at a meeting Tuesday that the university was helping students whose visas have been revoked leave the country, the Rocky Mountain Collegian reported Wednesday. One student has not yet left, Stanley said, and all are "safe.”

“We brought them, we escorted them to the airport, and we got them through security,” Stanley told the Collegian. “This is very new for us, and we’re learning and we’re reacting and we’re planning.”

CSU had more than 2,500 international students from 110 different countries last fall, according to information on its Office of International Programs website.

CU had 2,559 international students on its main campus in Boulder, according to its fall 2024 enrollment report.

The University of Northern Colorado declined to provide any information about the visa status of its international students.

“As a matter of practice and to respect the privacy of our university community members, we don’t provide information regarding an individual’s visa status,” spokesperson Sydney Kern wrote in an email Wednesday.

CSU and CU have issued statements to their international students, noting their support for their presence on their respective campuses and providing contact information for resources they can access for any questions or concerns they might have. CSU’s also includes contact emails, phone numbers and office hours for the university’s student legal services, health network and International Programs offices.

“Our international community is an integral part of Colorado State University, enriching our campus in countless ways,” reads a March 29 update from CSU. “Please know that CSU deeply values our international student population and is committed to supporting you to the best of our abilities.”

Previous communications sent to international students, faculty and scholars and available on the CSU International Programs website included a March 7 reminder of the need to register with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with a link to do so online, and be fingerprinted within 30 days of arriving in the U.S. or turning 14 years old if they had not already done so at a U.S. Port of Entry. That message also includes a link for parents or guardians to create accounts to register affected dependents, as required by a Feb. 25, 2025, directive from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

CU issued a statement April 1, noting that the university is “focused on supporting the success of all of our students, including international students. Each one of our students are seeking to advance their careers and the lives of their families, and we understand the anxieties that visa revocations cause to impacted students.” The Coloradoan had not received a response as of 10:30 a.m. Thursday to an email sent Wednesday morning to the Denver public information office for U.S. Immigration Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol seeking statewide numbers of visa revocations for international students, faculty and staff at Colorado colleges and universities since President Donald Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20.

Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@coloradoan.com,x.com/KellyLyell and  facebook.com/KellyLyell.news. 

This story was updated to add new information.