Monday, April 14, 2025

AdvertiseDonateSubmit
NewsSportsArtsOpinionThe QuadPhotoVideoIllustrationsCartoonsGraphicsThe StackPRIMEEnterpriseInteractivesPodcastsGamesClassifiedsPrint issues

Students who had visas revoked were previously arrested, USAC meeting reveals

Kerckhoff Hall, which houses offices for the Undergraduate Students Association Council, is pictured. Minutes from a meeting between UCLA administrators and USAC officers revealed that the students whose visas were revoked had previously been arrested. (Daily Bruin file photo)

By Alexandra Crosnoe and Sam Mulick

April 9, 2025 7:25 p.m.

This post was updated April 10 at 10:35 p.m.

Minutes from a meeting between UCLA administrators and Undergraduate Students Association Council officers revealed that students whose visas were revoked had previously been arrested. 

Nineteen students and alumni had their visas revoked as of Thursday, said USAC President Adam Tfayli. 

The United States government revoked the visas of around 50 international students and alumni across the UC, according to a Tuesday statement from UC President Michael Drake. During the Sunday meeting, administrators and USAC officers were aware of 12 visa revocations.

The university would not notify students with a BruinAlert if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement came on campus, administrators said at the meeting. The university would only “be in a position” to notify students after the fact, according to the minutes obtained by the Daily Bruin.

[Related: Trump administration revokes visas of multiple UCLA, UC students]

According to the minutes, Sam Nahidi, the director of the Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars, said students whose visas were revoked had all been arrested for at least a criminal misdemeanor, with offenses ranging from “simple arrests with no convictions to full-blown court cases,” including speeding tickets, missed court appearances, reckless driving and marijuana possession before legalization.

The Trump administration previously issued a January executive order that threatened to revoke the visas of students who participated in pro-Palestine protests.

[Related: Trump signs executive order threatening to revoke pro-Palestine protesters’ visas]

Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Monroe Gorden Jr. said the students who had their visas revoked are still enrolled at UCLA, according to the minutes. However, Gorden was unable to confirm if students who leave the country will be able to continue their studies virtually, adding that the dean of undergraduate education is currently discussing the issue with both USAC and the Graduate Student Association, according to the minutes.

USAC passed a resolution Tuesday urging the UCLA Academic Senate to tell faculty that they may provide hybrid access to classes for students unable to attend in person because of safety and “immigration-related” concerns.

Gorden said individual departments will likely choose whether or not to offer virtual options for students, but added that the decision could also become a UCLA Academic Senate issue, according to the minutes.

One student, whose visa was terminated, previously had their visa revoked years ago but reentered the U.S. on a new visa and traveled thereafter, according to the minutes. Both their visa and Student Exchange and Visa Information System account were cancelled.

In addition to Gorden and Nahidi, Tfayli, GSA President Noor Nakhaei, USAC International Student Representative Syed Tamim Ahmad, Catherine Hamilton – a former Daily Bruin News editor listed in the minutes as attending on behalf of a USAC office – and kc Bui, the deputy director and director of student affairs initiatives, attended the meeting.

Nahidi said during the meeting that two UCLA students had their visas revoked as early as March 27, according to the minutes. The U.S. government revoked eight visas by the morning of April 4, and that total rose to 12 by that night, according to the minutes.

During the meeting, Nahidi said it was premature to advise international students to hire immigration attorneys because there is not enough of a pattern to the visa revocations to justify creating panic, according to the minutes. He added that the administration does not “want to pose additional burdens without clear criteria from the federal government,” according to the minutes.

UCLA Media Relations declined requests to interview Nahidi and Gorden.

“No one is available for interview at this time,” a UCLA spokesperson said.

Gorden also said at the meeting that the university is trying to limit direct contact with federal agencies, according to the minutes. He added that federal agents with legal cause can enter buildings, but UCLA does not “complement” their work.

Nahidi said federal agencies – such as ICE and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – visit campus regularly, often to inquire about employment verification, according to the minutes. These officers are referred to Campus Human Resources or the Registrar, he added, according to the minutes.

Gorden also said the university cannot send out broad public messages regarding specifics of the visa terminations, according to the minutes. The Dashew Center can directly speak to impacted students but is limited in what details it can share, he added.

Share this story:FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Alexandra Crosnoe | National news and higher education editor
Crosnoe is the 2024-2025 national news and higher education editor and an Arts, Copy, Enterprise, Sports and Social contributor. She was previously news staff. Crosnoe is a second-year public affairs student from Dallas, Texas.
Crosnoe is the 2024-2025 national news and higher education editor and an Arts, Copy, Enterprise, Sports and Social contributor. She was previously news staff. Crosnoe is a second-year public affairs student from Dallas, Texas.
Sam Mulick | Features and student life editor
Mulick is the 2024-2025 features and student life editor and a PRIME senior staff writer. He was previously a News reporter. Mulick is a fourth-year sociology student from northern New Jersey.
Mulick is the 2024-2025 features and student life editor and a PRIME senior staff writer. He was previously a News reporter. Mulick is a fourth-year sociology student from northern New Jersey.
COMMENTS
Featured Classifieds
Wanted

Looking for a Native American individual to spend time with my 6-year-old daughter twice a week for 2-3 hours. Activities can include talking, playing, and engaging in fun, interactive experiences. She is growing up in a Russian-speaking household and currently attends kindergarten, where she speaks English. However, she needs more practice since Russian is the primary language spoken at home. If you’re interested or know someone who might be a good fit, please reach out! Txt Natalia 310-562-0010

More classifieds »
Related Posts