Pitt and WVU among schools reporting student visa revocations

Maddie Aiken, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Apr 9, 2025

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Numerous international students at the University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University have been stripped of their student visas, heightening the regional impact of the Trump administration's visa revocation effort.

At Pitt, one graduate student and two recent graduates have had their visas revoked and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records terminated, a university spokesperson confirmed. Three WVU students have been impacted.

Pitt Provost Joseph R. McCarthy wrote in a Wednesday letter to the campus community that the revocations have created "anxiety and fear" among Pitt international students.

"At the University of Pittsburgh, our international populations are a vital and vibrant part of our university community, and their continued well-being is a top priority," McCarthy wrote. "We recognize that this news has created anxiety and fear among our international populations, and we take these concerns very seriously."

Pitt did not specify why the federal government revoked the students' visas. At WVU, visas were revoked because impacted students' names were found in criminal records, said spokeswoman Shauna Johnson.

The Pitt and WVU international students are among hundreds whose visas have been revoked and SEVIS records terminated by the federal government in recent weeks.

At CMU, two current students and five recent graduates were impacted. Some Penn State students have also been impacted; the university has declined to share how many.

The White House has cited some international students' involvement in pro-Palestine protests as a top reason for revocation. Pitt and CMU have seen pro-Palestine movements on campus.

On Tuesday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon told the Wall Street Journal that universities should do more to ensure prospective international students don't have terrorist leanings or "are not necessarily supportive of the United States," the outlet reported.

But international students are also facing visa revocation and SEVIS record termination for offenses such as DUIs and disorderly conduct, Pittsburgh immigration attorney Joseph Patrick Murphy told the Post-Gazette on Tuesday.

Termination of students' SEVIS records is particularly impactful, Murphy said. When a foreign student's SEVIS records are terminated, that student becomes unlawfully present in the United States. And if universities continue allowing these students to take classes, they are in violation of immigration law.

At Pitt, officials have offered support and resources to impacted students, McCarthy wrote. The university provides further information regarding regulations and travel considerations through its Office of International Services.

McCarthy added that Pitt is not aware of any immigration agencies or authorities visiting the Oakland campus for enforcement purposes.

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