University of Minnesota Student Visa Revoked, ICE Reveals Reasons

On Monday, federal officials in the United States stated that a University of Minnesota graduate student was detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to a history of drunk driving, unrelated to any participation in protest activities.

“This is not related to student protests,” said Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in a statement on social media platform X. “This student was arrested for past crimes such as drunk driving, after their visa was revoked by the State Department.”

Last week, the University of Minnesota stated that they were “completely unaware of this incident beforehand and had not shared any information with federal authorities prior to the incident,” calling the arrest “deeply concerning.” Over the weekend, protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis to protest the detention of the student.

The student attends the Carlson School of Management at the Minneapolis campus and was arrested at their off-campus residence last Thursday. The university has not disclosed the student’s name. Spokesperson Andria Waclawski stated that the university is handling the matter according to the student’s wishes, respecting their privacy while providing legal assistance and other support.

The Trump administration invoked a rarely used regulation authorizing the State Department to revoke non-citizen visas deemed potentially threatening to U.S. foreign policy. It has been reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already revoked visas of around 300 international students. In recent weeks, over six individuals associated with universities have been detained or deported, with many openly supporting Palestine on campus and protesting Israel’s response to Hamas attacks on Gaza.

Mahmoud Khalil, a 30-year-old Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University, was the first student arrested. On March 8, he was detained by ICE agents for his involvement in organizing multiple anti-Israel protests since last spring, despite holding a student visa and a green card. Khalil is currently being held at an ICE detention center in Louisiana, and he has challenged the Trump administration’s attempt to deport him.

ICE also arrested Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk. Ozturk recently wrote articles for the school newspaper criticizing the university’s handling of anti-Israel protest activities.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that a student from Turkey had their student visa revoked last week on the streets of Boston, accused of “supporting activities of Hamas.” McLaughlin wrote on X last Wednesday that Ozturk’s visa “is a privilege, not a right” and stated that “glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is a legitimate reason for visa revocation.”

Meanwhile, Minnesota State University, Mankato also announced on Monday that a student was detained by ICE at their off-campus residence last Friday. In a letter to the entire school, President Edward Inch wrote, “No reasons were given for the detention.”

Mankato did not disclose the student’s name, nationality, or field of study.