The U.S. government's recent actions against international students have sparked concern, especially among Indian students. A report by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) revealed that nearly half of the 327 visa cancellations they tracked involved Indian nationals. The report, titled The Scope of Immigration Enforcement Actions Against International Students, noted that 50% of those affected were from India, followed by 14% from China. Students from South Korea, Nepal, and Bangladesh were also impacted.

Over the past four months, U.S. authorities, including the State Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have closely examined data on international students, including their activism. There are claims that artificial intelligence is being used in this process, which could lead to innocent students being wrongfully targeted, even if they have no criminal background or ties to campus protests.

In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio introduced the "Catch and Revoke" initiative, aimed at identifying student visa holders and monitoring their online activity for signs of anti-Semitism or their backing of Palestinians and Hamas.

According to an ICE statement, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to monitor international students and exchange visitors, has recently seen the termination of visa records for 4,736 international students, mostly on F-1 visas. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has called these actions unprecedented and suggested that they raise legal concerns that might lead to court challenges. These visa cancellations have had a major impact, especially on students under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program; nearly half of the 327 cases involved OPT participants. OPT lets international students on F-1 visas work in the U.S. for up to a year, but with their visas revoked, they can no longer work. The states most affected include Texas, California, New York, Michigan, and Arizona.

It's important to note that since late March, around 1,000 international students at U.S. colleges and universities have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated, according to a review by the Associated Press based on university statements and communication with school officials. While many of these students are from India and China, countries that comprise over half of the international student population in the U.S., lawyers say the visa terminations have affected students from various parts of the world, not just one region.

The Indian government has acknowledged the situation. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said, "We are aware that several Indian students have received communication from the US government regarding their F-1 visa status. We are looking into the matter. Our Embassy and consulate are in touch with the students."