Six international students at Cal State Long Beach have recently had their visas revoked, university officials said Friday.
The U.S. State Department declined to discuss specific cases or reasons for revocation.
A spokesperson with CSULB said four of the students are currently enrolled, while two others are participating in the university’s Optional Practical Training program, which is used to employ post-graduates in their field of study after completing their degree.
The spokesperson said he could not comment on specific cases or say exactly when the visas were canceled, but the news comes as nearly 150 international students statewide — including 48 in the California State University’s 23-campus system — have been suddenly stripped of their visas in recent days, leaving administrators, lawyers and lawmakers scrambling to help those who now face possible deportation.
In the latest move, California Attorney General Rob Bonta — as part of a 19-member coalition of attorneys general — announced Friday an amicus brief challenging a pair of President Trump’s executive orders to carry out “ideologically-motivated” revocations of visas. Some revocations, it alleges, came with “little or no explanation.”
“Students across the country are being aggressively targeted without notice and for no clear reason beyond the President’s political agenda, creating a culture of fear and disrupting our institutions of higher education,” Bonta wrote in a release. “The unjustified and unconstitutional revocation of student visas for expressing their opinions sends a stunning message to campuses across the nation: fall in line or face deportation.”
The 31-page filing alleges that many of the cancellations have focused on pro-Palestinian protestors on campuses. The Trump administration has already targeted students with prior involvement in pro-Palestinian activism or speech, including the high-profile detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder who helped lead protests at Columbia University.
It is unclear whether any of CSULB students are activists or have attended any of the campuses’ prior protests. Students last month across the Cal State network organized a “Week of Action” walkout of classrooms, calling on the schools to better defend diversity, equity, inclusion programs, and undocumented students.
University officials, according to the CSULB website, do not share information regarding a student’s immigration status or ethnicity with anyone, including law enforcement, without the students’ or employees’ permission — unless required by a warrant or court order.
As of fall 2024, CSULB had 1,490 international students enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs and another thousand-plus in Optional Practical Training, language, exchange and non-degree programs.
The CSU Chancellor’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a weekly update on April 6, the office said it is monitoring the situation and “will continue to provide assistance to all students in need.”
“The CSU is committed to the well-being and success of all our students and celebrates the rich diversity of backgrounds and perspectives that our international students contribute to the CSU,” the office wrote.
The visa cancellations have also affected students at dozens of University of California schools, from Berkeley to San Diego, as well as private institutions like Stanford. Officials at the University of California, Los Angeles confirmed Sunday that federal authorities revoked a dozen visas of students and recent graduates.
In a statement to the campus, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk implied the university did not receive prior notice and that the State Department, which handles visa applications, shifted students’ status through an immigrant student database connected to the Department of Homeland Security.
“We recognize that these actions can bring feelings of tremendous uncertainty and anxiety to our community,” Frenk wrote. “We want our immigrant and international UCLA students, staff and faculty to know we support your ability to work, learn, teach and thrive here.”