The University of Washington has discovered that, at the time of this announcement, five existing UW students along with four recent alumni involved in post-graduate training have had their visas abruptly revoked by the federal authorities without any prior communication to the University or the individuals impacted. We are profoundly worried about the welfare of these students and graduates and are taking steps to assist them. International scholars and students are crucial and esteemed participants in our University, contributing greatly to our community, state, and nation. The UW will persist in providing them with the necessary resources to enable them to learn, instruct, and thrive here.

We became aware of these occurrences during recent assessments of international student records within the federal government’s Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The SEVIS documentation indicates the visa cancellations were due to a violation of immigration status. No further information or specifics were given, and we have no evidence suggesting these actions stem from activism or any other protected expressions of free speech. Additionally, we are not aware of any immigration officials visiting UW campuses regarding this matter.

In situations like this, the international student services office of the relevant campus promptly contacts the affected individual, urging them to reach out to the office at the earliest opportunity so that we can link them with support and information. These services include access to legal assistance available to students as part of their student fees, along with mental health and academic support.

Our focus continues to be on supporting our international students and scholars, and we will persist in proactively communicating directly with them about these matters. Since the federal government does not inform universities about status modifications, we have been reviewing SEVIS records daily to ensure that we can reach out to students whose records have been altered.

We honor the privacy of the students and graduates impacted by these measures and will comply with their preferences regarding how and whether to publicly disclose their names and information. If anyone in the UW community becomes aware of a UW student or scholar who has been influenced by a similar visa issue, they are encouraged to prompt them to contact their campus’ international student services office without delay.

# # #