AUBURN, Ala. — The Department of Homeland Security has revoked the visas of 15 Auburn University students and staff, thrusting Alabama’s international student community into uncertainty and fear amid a sweeping federal crackdown on legal immigration status.
The action, part of a broader national policy shift under the Trump administration, has left students who were legally enrolled and contributing to campus life suddenly facing the threat of deportation. Unlike border enforcement cases, these are students and staff who held valid visas and were following all federal guidelines.
Auburn officials say the university was not involved in the federal decision and is working to support affected individuals, but the lack of transparency from federal authorities has fueled confusion and anxiety on campus. The university’s Office of International Programs has reached out to those impacted, emphasizing that international students and staff are “integral members” of the community.
The policy shift has also hit Troy University, where two students’ nonimmigrant status was terminated this week. Both institutions have underscored the vital role international students play in Alabama’s academic and economic life, with Auburn alone hosting around 1,500 international students last fall—about five percent of its student body.
With federal agencies declining to provide details or justification for the sudden revocations, students and university officials say they are left in the dark, forced to navigate a rapidly shifting landscape that has upended lives and jeopardized futures. For now, Alabama’s universities are pledging to support their international communities, even as the federal policy leaves many with more questions than answers.