Ghanaian students in US universities hit by Trump administration visa revocations

Thousands of foreigners studying in US universities across the country have been hit by far-reaching visa revocations by the Trump administration, and many Ghanaians have been affected.

The Trump administration has started a wave of actions removing immigrants, including those living in the country legally. Some citizens have also been affected by what some analysts describe as ‘far-reaching and uncontrolled’ decisions by US immigration officials. Some of the targeted students have been accused of participating in anti-Israel protests, for some, no reasons have been given, including the Ghanaian students, whose details are not known because the affected universities have not released their details. However, sources in the US have confirmed to Ghana Business News that indeed, some Ghanaian students have been affected.

The Trump administration is alleging that these students are spreading anti-Semitism and pro-Hamas sentiments on campus. But students, lawyers and activists have all refuted the claims.

For some students, their visas were revoked for minor legal infractions, like a speeding ticket or other traffic violations.

By the last count, conservative estimates put the number of student visas revoked to nearly 1,500. But according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s count, more than 4,700 student visas have been removed from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement-maintained database known as the Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems (SEVIS).

Types of student visas

To study in the US, an applicant needs a student visa. There are categories of visas for individuals from other countries intending to study in the US. There is the F-1 visa, which is used by students attending an academic institution like a high school or college.

There is the much less common one – the M-1 visa which is given to people entering the US for vocational training.

Educational institutions must first be certified by the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit, or ICE, through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, known as SEVP before they can accept students with those visas.

There is also the J-1 visa – known as the “exchange visitor” visa. This visa permits not just academic study but also has a “cultural component” supervised by a US organization approved by the State Department. There is a list that includes thousands of educational institutions that are permitted to accept applicants on this visa. Professors, researchers and physicians typically come to the US on this visa.

While the J-1 visa has a lot of requirements attached, some students prefer that because it allows their spouses to work while in the US.

Additionally, all the three types of educational visas use a government online database called SEVIS – the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System – to allow colleges and universities to provide legally required information to the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security about international students at their institutions. That information includes the student’s address and confirmation of their academic work.

As the unprecedented action of the Trump administration continues, defying court orders, these students are being asked by immigration authorities to self-deport.

With these students in limbo, it is yet to be seen how their home governments would respond.

By Emmanuel K Dogbevi

The post Ghanaian students in US universities hit by Trump administration visa revocations appeared first on Ghana Business News.

Read Full Story