SPOKANE — The federal government has revoked two Gonzaga University students’ international visas without notice to the school, according to a letter from Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh.
The revocations come shortly after two University of Idaho students also had their visas rescinded last week amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on foreign students who participated in campus protests against Israel, according to reporting from The Spokesman-Review.
Schools are generally unable to offer further information on the students in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that protects student records.
The government never gave the University of Idaho notice of the action, a spokesperson said.
Gonzaga’s International Student and Scholar Services team was regularly reviewing the federal database where the visa records to attend the small private school are kept. The team noticed two students’ visas were revoked, along with their student records, the letter states.
“We can assure you we are working closely with the students affected to offer support and guidance as they navigate this unexpected change in status,” McCulloh wrote.
Trump issued an executive order in January stating he will revoke all visas of students who participate in protests against Israel related to the war in Gaza, calling their behavior antisemitic.
“To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you,” the order states. “I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.”
Gonzaga students have held many protests against the war in Gaza, notably in November of last year when organizers asked the university to divest and withdraw from participation with organizations that have ties to Israel. More than 100 people participated , The Spokesman-Review reported.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered his diplomats to scour student visa applications and investigate the students’ social media accounts, according to reporting by the New York Times. The Times reported Rubio is looking for “someone who is suspected of having terrorist ties or sympathies; who had a student or exchange visa between Oct. 7, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024; or who has had a visa terminated since that October date.”
Gonzaga, a Jesuit school, takes a humanistic approach to teaching, it says. Its mission is to teach students they must contribute to the common good, to recognize and respect one another’s differences, to positively impact the vulnerable, and more, according to its website.
McCulloh writes in his letter that the school’s international scholars are an “integral part” of the campus community, and supporting them aligns with the goal of maintaining a campus where all students feel welcome and safe.
“They bring wisdom and diverse perspectives that enrich our classrooms, and they infuse our community with their energy, spirit, and vibrant cultures,” the letter states. “…This is a community that supports and cares for one another. During this period of disruption, let us be attentive to the experiences of those around us — particularly our international students and scholars, for whom this is a time of particular concern and vulnerability — and let our actions reflect the compassion and justice at the heart of our Jesuit tradition.”
The letter also noted that Gonzaga has signed on to an amicus brief asking a judge to take action against the Trump Administration’s decisions that order student visa revocations or student arrests following protests on campus. The brief will be filed later this week, a Gonzaga spokesperson said.
The school is a member of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a nonprofit that educates schools on how immigration affects students. More than 570 colleges have signed on to condemn the arrests and potential deportation of international college students, according to a post last week.
“The Presidents’ Alliance is highly alarmed by recent immigration enforcement actions targeting noncitizen students, faculty and staff, condemns the detention of international students, and urgently calls on the Administration to respect their constitutional rights, including the First Amendment’s protection of speech and the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of due process,” the post says.
The State Department told The Spokesman-Review via email last week it would not disclose information on any student visa due to “privacy considerations” and “visa confidentiality.”
The State Department included in its response: “The United States has zero tolerance for noncitizens who violate U.S. laws. Those who break the law, including students, may face visa refusal, visa revocation, and/or deportation,” although it’s unclear whether any of these students have been convicted of a crime.
