About 39 Nigerian students face visa revocations amid ongoing immigration enforcement initiatives under the administration of United States President Donald Trump.
Also, in 2025, Trump’s immigration crackdown resulted in the loss of F-1 or J-1 student visas for a total of 1,818 known international students from more than 270 institutions across the United States.
According to data released by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Nigeria ranked as the fifth country with the highest number of visa terminations for students.
The five countries with the highest number of students affected are India (301), China (285), South Korea (41), Saudi Arabia (40), and Nigeria (39).
Also, the data showed that the highest levels of visa cancellations have been from public universities, with Arizona State University (ASU) recording the highest number with 100 student visas revoked as of April 24 2025.
Of the top nine institutions, six are from Republican states and three are Democratic.
According to reports, the 39 Nigerian students and other affected international students, primarily holding F-1 visas for academic studies, received notifications from the U.S. Department of State and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that their student visas had been terminated.
Many discovered their legal status was revoked through abrupt emails or updates in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
It was gathered that the students were given days to leave the U.S. or risk detention and forced deportation.
While the reasons for these revocations remain sketchy as of press time, the 39 Nigerian students face visa revocations primarily due to alleged minor violations, such as discrepancies in SEVIS records or perceived non-compliance with visa regulations.
Also, some cases have been linked to minor infractions like traffic violations or alleged involvement in campus activism, particularly pro-Palestinian protests.
Recall that since taking office on January 20, 2025, the Trump administration has intensified its immigration enforcement, with a particular focus on international students.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had publicly framed the visa cancellations as part of the government’s clampdown on pro-Palestinian protests, and several early high-profile cases involved prominent activists including Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil.
In a speech on March 27, Rubio declared: “We give you a visa to come and study to get a degree, not to become a social activist that tears up our university campuses.”
At the time, 300 international student visas had been revoked.
It was also gathered that Trump’s administration has been invoking student visas through provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
A provision of the act allows the U.S. government to revoke visas if a student’s presence is deemed to have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.”
Also, the fate of the 39 Nigerian students facing visa revocations remains uncertain as the development has been the subject of legal action.
As of press time, 28 active lawsuits have been filed against the US government, including the case of AAUP v. Rubio, heard before a Massachusetts court on April 23, and no decision has yet been taken by the judge.
The case has attracted the support of 19 state attorney generals and over 500 colleges represented by the President’s Alliance seeking an injunction to halt the widespread arrest, detention and deportation of students and faculty.
