US Orders Nigerian, Other Foreign Students With Cancelled Visas to Leave

• Visas of many international students in the United States have reportedly been cancelled by the US government
• The foreign students were warned to leave the US, with the assurance that they will be fished out by the authorities
• The American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, also explained the reason for cancelling the visas of foreign students

Legit.ng journalist, Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

United States - President Donald Trump-led administration has begun aggressively revoking student visas, forcing Nigerian and other international students to leave the United States of America.

The Department of Homeland Security has warned international students not to remain in the United States, as they would be found by the authorities and sent back to their home countries.

According to Vanguard, immigration lawyer Nicole Micheroni shared the email of the warning that was issued to international students.

“Do not attempt to remain in the United States. The federal government will find you," it read.

Meanwhile, a lawyer has sued the US government on behalf of more than 100 affected students.

Dustin Baxter said some of the students targeted were never protesters and were not charged with crimes.

“Not only would they revoke the person’s student visa - even if there was no conviction, if there was just an arrest, and sometimes there wasn’t even an arrest, there was just an encounter and maybe a ticket - they would revoke the student visa."

According to some foreign students, the first notice they received about their visa revocation was not from immigration services but from their school.

Likewise, many universities said they received no formal notice of student visa revocations and found out only by seeing names in government records.

An immigration attorney said that the approach of the Trump administration marked a major change from the way that system had historically been used.

The president-elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Jeff Joseph, said:

“Up until Trump took office, it was really up to the designated school officers to initiate that revocation in SEVIS. What we’re seeing now is that ICE is doing it themselves.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said visa cancellations were targeted at individuals whose presence posed 'serious foreign policy consequences'.

The State Department has stated it has 'broad authority' to revoke visas at any time and warned that monitoring continued even after issuance.

“We continuously check visa holders… And we will revoke their visas and deport them if they don’t [follow the rules].”

Visa revocation is lawful - US attorney

Magnus N. Amudi, a US-based immigration lawyer, provided insight into the recent wave of visa revocations affecting international students.

Speaking with Legit.ng, he explained the legal nuances surrounding the issue.

“Visa revocation without notice or criminal charge is usually lawful, particularly when the person is outside the US,” Amudi noted, adding that the revocation itself is within the bounds of US law under certain conditions.

“Due process concerns arise only when the person is physically in the US and suffers a deprivation of liberty or property interest without an opportunity to be heard,” he added, clarifying that these concerns are more relevant when students are on US soil.

“There are very limited grounds to challenge visa revocation in federal court unless tied to a constitutional right, e.g., First Amendment or procedural due process within U.S. jurisdiction.”

He also referenced several landmark US Supreme Court cases that have shaped the current legal landscape to support his position, including Kleindienst v. Mandel (1972), where the Supreme Court ruled that courts defer to the executive’s visa decisions unless constitutional rights are at stake.

In Din v. Kerry (2015), the Court found no due process violation even when a visa was denied without explanation, while in Sessions v. Morales-Santana (2017), the Court reaffirmed that non-citizens lacked full due process protections unless they had a strong legal presence in the US.

US announces 4 new visa interview requirements

Legit.ng previously reported that the United States Embassy in Nigeria announced four major requirements for Nigerians applying for its visa interviews.

These four announcements were disclosed on the commission's website on April 11, 2025, effective from April 22 this year, with applicants urged to adhere.

Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from an immigration lawyer for this report.

Source: Legit.ng