More than 30 international students attending the University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University in Denton have had their immigration statuses revoked or terminated, following a wave of removals from the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) that has affected students across Texas, according to The Texas Tribune.
University officials confirmed that 27 international students at UNT and four at TWU have had their SEVIS status terminated, limiting their ability to remain in the U.S. or continue their education.
SEVIS terminations differ from visa revocations, which prevent re-entry but don’t immediately disrupt a student’s legal presence. In contrast, SEVIS removals often require students to leave the country or take immediate legal action to reinstate their status.
UNT, one of the nation’s top universities for international student enrollment, hosts more than 8,000 students from abroad, most at the graduate level. According to a university spokesperson, 19 of the 27 affected UNT students are graduate students. TWU confirmed four students were impacted, though further details were not disclosed.
The federal government has not specified how students were selected for removal. However, the Department of Homeland Security recently announced it would begin screening international students’ social media for antisemitic content, citing executive orders from President Donald Trump. Several affected universities, including UNT, have recently seen campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Immigration lawyers say the students now face limited and complex options to regain status. Without swift intervention, many may be forced to leave the country, potentially ending their academic careers in Texas.
Information from this article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/09/texas-universities-international-students-legal-status/.
