Federal government revokes multiple student visas in Oklahoma, leaving some in fear

The federal government recently revoked several student visas in Oklahoma, leaving some students fearing what’s to come, one student shared with News 9 on Tuesday. 

The government revoked eight student visas at Oklahoma State University, four visas at the University of Central Oklahoma, two at Oklahoma Christian University and two at Oral Roberts University. 

Melissa Lujan, who has owned an immigration law firm for 10 years, said it is unusual to see so many student visas revoked at the same time. 

“I’m curious to know why their visas were cancelled. There’s been lots of visas cancelled related to political activity,” she explained. 

Savannah Wooten, a junior at OSU, said she believes this is politically motivated. 

“I think it’s really disheartening. I think education is a really powerful thing, and I don’t think we should be making education political and using our students and our future as political pawns,” said Wooten. 

Lujan said she has been telling students that while oftentimes freedom of expression is good for the educational setting, “If you’re not a U.S. citizen, that’s probably something you should avoid right now.” 

She explained that for those concerned, it is important to have backup plans. 

"Make sure that you have money in the bank to get a ticket to leave the country if your status is suddenly changed because that's going to be important,” Lujan shared. 

Make sure your passport is up to date, she added. 

“Make sure that you've got all the proper transcripts and copies of all your grades and the courses you've completed, so that if you have to leave the country and continue education elsewhere, you've got current records with you," Lujan noted. 

If you are detained, "They should definitely contact an experienced attorney to help them with that process because you can make requests for bond, and sometimes an immigration judge will give you bond,” she stated. 

Lujan said you can also ask for voluntary departure in lieu of deportation. 

She explained that if a university revokes a student visa, it is possible to get it reinstated. However, if a student visa is revoked by the government, there is no appeals process. 

Lujan also said it is possible to reapply for a visa, but whether it gets approved is up to the federal government. 

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