UMass Boston students received an email from chancellor Marcello Suarez-Orozco April 5, 2025, informing them of an immigration action taken against certain students who were legally authorized to be at UMass Boston. In this email, Chancellor Suarez-Orozco writes that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently canceled the F-1 student visas and non-immigrant statuses of seven individuals associated with UMass Boston, including two current students and five recent graduates who were enrolled in post-completion training programs. This is a shocking and concerning development that has risen.Â
The UMass Boston community received a notification stating that federal officials did not directly notify the university of these status changes. The Office of Global Programs instead made the discovery by actively monitoring the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a federal database that is managed internally and is supervised by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Unfortunately, UMass Boston is not the only place experiencing this. Over the course of the last few weeks, similar stories have surfaced from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and the US, suggesting that F-1 visa terminations adversely impact international students nationally. Many international students have gotten detained and visas revoked, affecting their education and statuses to be here. They were not assisted by their universities to be prepared for these actions nor did many of them realize that these actions were happening on campus, yet they claim that the campus is protected and we can all freely walk.Â
UMass Boston reacted by initiating assistance procedures as soon as officials were notified. With the assistance of the Office of Global Programs, Student Affairs, and the Provost’s Office, those impacted were provided with immediate access to services and guidance. To make sure all available legal options are considered, the university is also working with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the UMass system’s Office of General Counsel.
In my honest opinion, I don’t think the right resources are being offered to students from the start. I also do not think the campuses are fully safe from ICE, as they say they are, if they are unaware of these actions being taken on their properties. I think the schools should have taken time and prepared for everyone who could possibly get their visas revoked rather than letting it happen. Despite knowing what actions had started occurring, there was never any assurance or talks about these types of situations hence why now those students will have to remember that they were taken off their campus though legally being here on their visas.Â
My roommate is a part of a club here at UMass Boston called “Bridging the Gap,” which is a club that fights for immigrant justice on campus and in the local community. Their goal is to give legal advice to right organizations and get those who need immigration help free of charge. Recently, my roommate made this presentation slide show that would be useful for everyone to see in case legal action from the government is taken. The presentation contains many useful QR codes and resources to be prepared with in case being approached and questioned about living in America as well as for education purposes.