‘Cruel and wrong’: UW, Gonzaga among colleges where student visas revoked by Trump administration
Apr 8, 2025, 1:43 PM | Updated: Apr 9, 2025, 2:02 pm
UW's 'W' sign in front of a campus entrance. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
The Trump administration revoked the visas of nine University of Washington (UW) students and recent graduates, and two from Gonzaga University, college administrators confirmed Monday. There was no prior notice for the revoked visas.
UW didn’t learn of the visa cancelations until the university checked the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which contains international student records. The university told KING 5 it checks SEVIS every day so it can proactively contact students about changes in status.
Chair of Washington State Democratic Party dismayed by revoked visas
Chair of the Washington State Democratic Party, Shasti Conrad, called the Trump administration’s actions “cruel and wrong” in a statement Tuesday.
“Today’s actions by the Trump administration stripping visas from international students at the University of Washington without warning or cause pose insurmountable barriers to the education of these students and the academic community at one of our nation’s foremost research institutions,” she stated. “These actions are cruel and wrong. I applaud the University of Washington for offering these students legal and mental health resources and call upon our elected leaders to do everything possible to protect these students and ensure they receive the due process they are entitled to under the U.S. Constitution.”
Conrad then called out Washington Republicans.
“Republicans in Congress are abdicating their responsibility to provide oversight and accountability to this lawless administration, and it is up to the rest of us to ensure these abuses are recorded and opposed,” she continued.
According to the SEVIS database, the visas of the nine UW-connected individuals—five active students and four recent graduates currently in post-graduate training—were canceled due to an immigration status violation.
“No additional information or details were provided, but we have no indication these actions are due to activism or other protected free speech,” UW said in a prepared statement. “We are also not aware of any immigration officials coming to UW campuses related to this situation.”
International students lose visas at Gonzaga, too
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Two Gonzaga University students also had their international visas revoked without notice to the school. While the university stated it cannot discuss specific cases, it is working with the affected students.
“Our international students and scholars are an integral part of our university community. They bring wisdom and diverse perspectives that enrich our classrooms, and they infuse our community with their energy, spirit, and vibrant cultures,” Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh wrote in a letter. “They have chosen Gonzaga as their home while they pursue their studies—and working to support them is what is meant when we speak of striving to maintain a community in which all students feel welcomed, safe, and supported.”
Gonzaga University is a signatory to a brief that supports a preliminary court order that urges the current Trump administration to revoke its policy of arresting, detaining, and deporting noncitizen students and faculty who have exercised their free speech and association rights.
Many colleges across the country have cited that students have had their legal status terminated, according to The Associated Press, including the University of Idaho, Harvard, Stanford, Michigan, UCLA, and Ohio State.
Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest
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