NMSU President outlines services available to students with revoked visas
Nine international students at New Mexico State University have had their visas revoked as a result of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump. NMSU officials said the university is consulting the Student and Exchange Visitor System, a federal database which schools update with required information about international students. "The recent revocation of visas for international students and scholars who have come to this country in search of opportunity has caused intense concern on campuses across the country, ours included," NMSU President
Valerio Ferme wrote in a April 17, 2025 message to the campus community. NMSU could not provide the names of the students whose visas had been revoked or their current whereabouts. The Office of International Students and Scholar Services has reached out to each student whose visa was terminated to set up meetings and provide additional information and resources, including immigration attorney contacts, said a NMSU spokesperson. Student Assistance Services is also working to assist students complete the current semester, which ends on May 9, 2025. "We do realize, however, that current communication in mass and social media can only heighten the concerns and anxiety of those who, by no error or fault of their own, feel targeted by these actions, or are witnessing equally disruptive removal of family members, especially so close to the border, due to other actions undertaken by the government," Ferme's message read. The university initially confirmed that six students had their visa revoked in April, but the university cannot disclose the reason. However, since President Donald Trump took office, there have been more than
4,700 students deleted from the SEVS database. Ferme's memo stated that the revoked visas stem from the "result of infractions related to current law or outdated records,"
not protests or social media posts. "By law, we cannot provide direct legal assistance to those affected. The Office of General Counsel has retained the services of an international law agency and will soon announce a couple of public forums in which our legal experts will provide the best and up-to-date information on this developing crisis." Numerous students across the country have since filed lawsuits with varying degrees of success. The New Mexico chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed an emergency lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Todd Lyons, Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), on behalf of a Ghanaian doctoral student at New Mexico Tech. The student, referred to as "K.O.D.,” is challenging the abrupt termination of his F-1 student status. on April 9, 2025, he discovered that his immigration status had been terminated without notice or exclamation, according to a
ACLU news release announcing the lawsuit . "When the government suddenly terminates these students’ status, it's dramatically disrupting these individuals’ lives—and tearing apart New Mexico communities," said ACLU of New Mexico senior staff attorney Rebecca Sheff in a news release. "International students bring diverse perspectives and significant contributions to New Mexico's educational and economic landscape. The complete lack of transparency surrounding these terminations is profoundly concerning. New Mexicans reject this treatment of our community members." The lawsuit seeks that the court immediately intervene to allow K.O.D. to maintain his academic standing and, "prevent the irreparable harm that would come from disrupting years of doctoral research."
