International students in the US are now under increased scrutiny, and even minor issues like traffic violations or social media activity could lead to their student visas being cancelled. According to a report by the Associated Press, several students have recently lost their visas for things like speeding tickets or posts on social media, even if they haven’t taken part in any protests.

Some major universities including Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, the University of Michigan, and Ohio State said they were surprised by these sudden cancellations. In many cases, the schools only found out when checking immigration records, and the US government often didn’t give a clear reason for the decision.

Students from India are among those affected. Some didn’t attend any protests but still had their visas revoked simply for liking or sharing content related to Gaza on social media. US authorities have reportedly been using an AI system called ‘Catch and Revoke’ to monitor international students’ online activities and flag those suspected of supporting certain groups.

In one case, an Indian PhD student at Columbia University, Ranjani Srinivasan, had to leave the country and move to Canada after her visa was suddenly cancelled. In another case, a student named Badar Khan Suri from Georgetown University was detained due to claims about his social media posts, which he denies.

The situation has become more serious since March 25, when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly ordered a stricter review of students’ social media activity. Rubio confirmed that over 300 student visas have been revoked, saying they’re targeting people who support Hamas-related content either online or offline.

This new policy has worried colleges and students alike. Many are concerned that it could limit free speech and lead to unfair treatment. According to the 2024 Open Doors Report, over 1.1 million international students studied in the US during the 2023–24 academic year including more than 330,000 from India.

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