Davis International Center (IC) Director Albert Rivera said the University was monitoring the visa statuses of international students in an email to international students and scholars on Monday afternoon as concerns mount about the revocation of student visas by the Trump administration.
Three current students and two recent alumni at Harvard University, for example, have had their visas revoked since the start of the Trump administration. These revoked visas were discovered during what Harvard called a “routine records review.”
Additionally, the U.S. Department of State released a statement on April 5 that visas for South Sudanese passport holders would be revoked and those holding South Sudanese passports would be barred from entering the country. According to the Davis IC, there were two South Sudanese students at Princeton as of the 2023–24 academic year.
Rivera’s email did not say whether any visas for Princeton students had been revoked, or if the University would necessarily notify international students writ large should this occur.
“The Davis International Center communicates directly with international students or scholars to provide information and support when it learns about an immigration issue that affects them,” university spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss wrote in a statement.
Some visa revocations have been discovered upon routine checks of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database, which Rivera said the University was monitoring “daily.”
Rivera also asked students to be on the lookout for communications from the federal government about their visas.
“You can help by letting us know if you receive any communication from the government regarding SEVIS termination or visa revocation. Please check your Princeton email but also any personal emails — including the one you may have provided at the time of your visa application — to see if you have received any notification of visa revocation,” his email said.
The email also shared that the Davis IC will be hosting two virtual immigration attorney sessions on Thursday, April 17, and Tuesday, April 22, at 8 p.m. Both events will be hosted by Tim Nelson and his team from Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP. The first is titled “An Update on U.S. Immigration,” and the second is titled “Dos and Don’ts of International Travel and U.S. Ports of Entry.”
This announcement follows another email on March 25 from Associate Director for International Studies Regina George about an immigration attorney session hosted by the Davis IC on March 26 with Dan Bergen.
Rivera’s email further explained that there is “no new information on possible travel bans,” and emphasized that the Davis IC “will target our outreach to those individuals impacted.”
Rivera also urged students to review the Federal Actions pages on the Campus Life website and the Immigration FAQs on the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity’s website.
“Thank you for your patience and cooperation during what I know is a challenging and uncertain time for many of you. We remain committed to supporting you to the best of our ability,” the email concluded.
Luke Grippo is a senior News writer and Features contributor for the ‘Prince.’ He is from South Jersey and usually covers administrative issues, including Undergraduate Student Government, the Council of the Princeton University Community, and institutional legacy.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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