Several current and former Northwestern students’ visas have been terminated by the Department of Homeland Security, a University spokesperson confirmed to The Daily.
The spokesperson said the University learned of the terminations during a recent check of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. The University routinely monitors the status of NU’s international students using SEVIS, according to the spokesperson.
The discovery comes amid recent attacks on several elite universities, including a $790 million funding freeze for NU. Many of these universities are also undergoing federal civil rights investigations. NU is currently being investigated by the Education Department and the Department of Justice.
According to the Office of International Student and Scholar Services statistics from 2023-2024, NU sponsors more than 9,300 international students from more than 140 countries. This includes 4,913 enrolled international students, 1,609 scholars, 997 dependents and 1,829 students on post-completion employment.
Per the data, about 10% of full-time undergraduate students and 37% of full-time graduate students are international.
In an April 1 email to the NU community, University Provost Kathleen Hagerty said NU will “work to ensure the rights of each member of our community and will connect them with appropriate assistance, when necessary, to help protect those rights.”
Hagerty advised international students to contact an immigration attorney with legal questions and to review information about documentation.
The University spokesperson told The Daily it cannot disclose the identities of the international students whose visas have been terminated.
“We have reached out to them and are providing guidance,” the spokesperson told The Daily.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.
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