Rep.SaludCarbajal
U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) joined 142 Members of Congress in demanding answers regarding the termination of students’ legal status. Despite the Trump Administration’s recent claim that it would reverse course, only Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has made any policy change. While students are no longer immediately deportable, they will be unable to return to the United States once they go home after the semester ends, as the State Department is not restoring students’ visa status.
“This is not about national security. It is about using immigration enforcement as a weapon to stifle political dissent, restrict due process, and enforce an exclusionary and nativist vision of America that runs counter to everything our institutions of higher learning stand for,” wrote the lawmakers. “Across the country, students are being picked up – in some cases by masked immigration agents in unmarked cars – and being held in detention facilities with no warning and limited information as to why they are being deported.”
According to recent reporting, more than 1,800 students and recent graduates across 280 colleges and universities have had their visas revoked. Since Trump took office, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also confirmed that at least 4,736 have had their legal status terminated in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). However, DHS does not have the authority to terminate this legal status except under very specific circumstances, none of which have been met in the vast majority of these cases.
“Our campuses have been spaces where students and scholars from around the world come together to challenge assumptions, push the boundaries of knowledge, and foster the innovation that has made our country a global leader,” continued the lawmakers. “But today, the Trump administration’s heavy-handed and politically motivated immigration enforcement is turning university campuses into places of fear, rather than learning, and these actions deter students from coming to study at U.S. institutions.”
Reporting has also shown that the State Department has been using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to identify students to target through their social media accounts. This aspect is especially troubling as social media accounts may not feature students’ names, and AI facial recognition is often prone to mistakes, at significantly higher rates when identifying people of color.
The full text of the letter can be read here.
Rep. Salud Carbajal represents California’s 24th Congressional District, encompassing Santa Barbara County and portions of San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County.
Thank you, once again, for standing up for the rule of law and against the tyrannical attempts to freeze free speech in our country!
I’d be interested to see a list of those students who have had their visas revoked including their home countries. I think we can be pretty sure where those countries are and are not….
CHUFF – People from every nation on earth, of every color, sex, race and nationality support the rights of the Palestinians. Only certain ones are being disappeared off the streets.
Keep telling yourself you’re not “racist.” though. Filth.
Very True. We all know where the students, that are supporting terror networks are from. Glad we can agree.
Yes, thank you, Congressman Carbajal, for resisting the flaming clown car oligo-klepto-kakistocracy of this blatantly racist administration.
the administration is just enforcing the rule of law. Deal with it
JUMBO – Um….. what “law” would that be? What has Parler told you?
Is it the same law that allows the KKK and Neo-Nazi groups to march in parades and publicly spew hate and racism and actual, real anti-semitism?
I’ll give you a hint: Yes. And the administration is not “enforcing” it, they are violating it.
The law supports American citizens right to spew hate, not foreigners here on student visas.
Again, absolutely wrong. Learn your country’s laws.
Bozo11 – That *must* have been a joke. Nobody is *that* stupid!
ANON – unfortunately, I think you’d be surprised.
JIM – Stoned, stupid, or trolling?
LOL–I know it’s tough to see the world when you’re wearing cult colored glasses.
Trump admin has lost 90% of court challenges. They consistently break the law.
And just lost another one!
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/09/rumeysa-ozturk-tufts-ice-release-00338953
Another victory for real Americans and the Constitution!
You also a fan of Steven Miller’s suggestion that Trump will “suspend Habeus Corpus?”
You a fan of a government being able to lock ANYONE up with NO DUE PROCESS AND NO RIGHT TO APPEAR IN COURT?
You a fan of that?
These fascist bootlickers….
ALEX – only as long as it’s non-whites.
The dumb*$$es and racists have been saying the quiet parts out loud a lot lately.
Has Salud termed out?
Nope. Have you?
Will the white South Africans that Trump just gave “refugee” status to and invited to our country also be arrested and detained for deportation if they speak publicly in opposition to the “treatment” of white people in South Africa?
Would you support those South Africans , if they were here on a student visa, and they were protesting the removal of apartheid, and blocking Blacks from attending class?
‘Stifling political dissent’
These people are visitors, allowed in our country to study. Had they been vetted, before time, they would not be allowed in. Foreigners do NOT have a right, to come to the USA and start problems because of what is US foreign policy. They do not even have a RIGHT to be here in the first place. Its a privilege. You do not have a right to come here and voice support for organizations on the US Government terror list. You do not have a right, as a visitor, to malign other students, or block them from attending class. I say good riddance to them. Carbajal is playing to his constituency, but it is an exercise in futility, as it is the State Dept that has the authority in this matter.
CHUFF- “The law supports American citizens right to spew hate, not foreigners here on student visas.”
Wrong. Read the Constitution.
Last time you gave a constitution lesson to me, you said the ‘Homeless had a constitutional right to live on the street’ 6 months later SCOTUS said you were wrong.
Where in the constitution does it say ‘Non citizens, visiting, can support anti American groups on the terror list. What is the purpose of our constitution? To help us commit suicide? To let foreign subversives take root and flourish?
CHUFF – dude, it’s laterally the first thing in the Bill of Rights. It’s not very hard to understand.
People, even non white foreign students, are allowed to voice support for the Palestinians.
Or do you think only the KKK and your neo Nazi pals should be able to voice support of things others don’t agree with?
CHUFF – and yes, I absolutely support the right of foreign racists to publicly spew hate here.
That’s where we differ. I support American values and the rule of law for all. You only support it for white people who agree with your racist and ignorant beliefs. Just like Trump.
As for “blocking Blacks”…… dude the 1930s called looking for you. Further, physical violence is not protected by the 1st Amendment. Even for Pro-Palestinian protesters.
Learn to think critically. This is simple stuff.
Democrats wanted radical change, and are now unhappy about radical change.
You are incorrect. It’s Trump & MAGA that wants to break government. Republicans have been on the “all government is bad” kick for decades, and they’ve reverse-engineered that by being incompetent, greedy and cruel every time they get elected.
There’s nothing radical about a thriving economy, affordable health care and housing, and justice for everyone.
I think both parties are wrong in their approach. Dems want more and more government, to an absurd degree which is a waste of taxpayer dollars and fiscally-unsustainable – while Trump wants a minimal level of government, centralized in his own control. They’re both bad. There’s no reasonable, middle ground happening right now. It’s all black and white. Good luck.
ZIPS – not all change is the same. No liberal ever wanted this. Only ones who wanted these racist, illegal, cruel and tyrannical policies are…. well, MAGA folks.
An interesting quote from Bill Maher was in the news in the last day or so. He calls out the (D) party for being filled and led by “beta” types who those who would prefer to be anything but an American citizen. Seems like the rest of the world is literally dying to become an American citizen. Anyway, here’s what he reportedly said:
Comedian Bill Maher ripped the younger generation of liberals on his Friday night show, lamenting that less than 25% of self-proclaimed Democrats under 30 say they’re proud to be American.
Maher began by quoting Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who expressed similar disdain for her party, saying it has become “weak and woke,” is in need of some “alpha energy,” and that it needs to “f****** retake the flag.”
“This is serious problem for Democrats. Less than one in four Democrats under 30 say they’re proud to be an American,” Maher said.
“Fifty-four percent say they’re embarrassed by it. Embarrassed like America is your mom picking you up at school? You’re embarrassed to be an American?”
Definitely embarrassing to be associated with the current national administration.
Never has ignorance and hatred been as blatantly rampant.
But, of course, Bends Knees thinks we should stick our heads in the sand.
Anon: Totally agree. The current national administration is the main reason why so many US citizens claim to be from another country. Be careful when claiming you’re from Canada around Canadians because they REALLY hate it when “we” do that. If you’ve done as much international traveling as I have, you will often see Canadian flags on backpacks/luggage/etc. as a way to proclaim “I’m NOT from the USA!” Similar to the bumper stickers Tesla owners are putting on the back of their cars. Good luck with the whole project, which seems to be going as expected.
how can any reasonable American citizen NOT be embarrassed by what we did in the last election? trump’s made it almost a necessity for any American visiting a foreign country to apologize for donald effing trump. Just like anyone who bought a tesla years ago before elon musk showed us that he’s a nazi and a wretched punk now has to put a bumpersticker on their car apologizing to the rational world for supporting that company, now American overseas travelers are wearing Canadian shirts to avoid trouble.
Anon: Most rational people are completely embarrassed to say they are US citizens. We are looked at as complete idiots for making 45 47. If you are planning on traveling out of the country in the next 3.5 years or so, may I suggest purchasing several t-shirts (available on Amazon): “I hate Trump” / Pic of Trump with the word ‘IDIOT’ below / “Are We Great Yet? Cause I Just Feel Embarrassed” / “M.orons A.re G.overning A.merica” …. You just might find people high-fiving you, buying you drinks/shots, or possibly something even better.
Add in the I hate Elon bumper sticker for all the speeding Tesla drivers too! It’s classic.