>> One day they're going to class, the next they're being
told to leave the country immediately. More than 50
international university students in Wisconsin have had
their student visas revoked this week, half of them at
UW-Madison, but also at system campuses across the state. At
Concordia University and Marquette, according to
university officials. UW-Madison says it played no role in the
visa terminations and know of no Ice activity on campus. Further,
university officials say they don't believe the revoked visas
relate to political activity. So what is going on? We turn to
Madison immigration attorney Amanda Gennerman with the Pines
firm. And thanks very much for being here.
you for asking me to be here today.
contacted by by some of these people. But as to that question,
what is going on? Do you know? >> It's a great question. These
are one of these things that we have been experiencing in the
last 90 days, that every day feels like a new day, right?
There are constant changes happening. And this being the
latest of that experience for foreign nationals in our
communities. >> Is that how it works that
they get notice of termination by the US government, and then
they have to leave the country immediately.
>> So student visas are its own unique world, and there are
systems in place that notify a student if they seem to not hold
that status anymore. And usually it's through the university DSO,
a designated student officer who notifies the student or has a
conversation and says there's an issue here. This is not how this
unfolded. For these 40 to 50 students. It was an email in
their box with this notification, no real
explanation. So yes and no to that answer.
>> Well, what happens if the students do not, in fact leave
immediately? Do they run the risk of being picked up by ice?
>> I think that this is definitely an act of enforcemen.
And should people not remove themselves or seek other relief
to remain in the United States, or try to establish that status
back in place, that Ice could take that action, come to take
them and start the removal proceedings?
>> So how urgently are advocates like yourself kind of responding
to this? >> So here locally within the
Madison and state of Wisconsin, a group of attorneys as of this
week were talking about how do we respond? What are the things
we can do? Who do we know at the university? How do we get
resources out? So yes, it's a small but mighty group, but we
are here to assist students. >> Has any information been
forthcoming from the university or from federal immigration
officials? >> No, the answer is no. Nobody
is really providing the information. And that's what the
problem is. You there supposed to be a system here? There's
supposed to be a due process opportunity for students to
explore. What are the issues. But it's being very, very it's
very vague. >> How broad are the reasons
that result in termination of a student visa and removal from
the US? >> So two different answers to
that question. Terminating a status for a student is under a
system that we call Cvis. And there's a check down box and
there's 3 to 4. If you fail to maintain your full caseload, if
you do have contact with law enforcement, it could be it
could be looked at. So it's primarily due to participating
in school, which is what you are here to do on an F visa. And so
when these things happen, what these students seem to be
noticing in their boxes of why they're being terminated is that
it's for unknown for other failing to maintain status. And
that's it. >> But they don't know. And the
university says that it does not appear that these terminations
have anything to do with political activity.
>> From what we're seeing right now and again, there are very I
have not had access to a majority of these individuals.
That does not seem to be the box that is ticked.
>> So are these students who are terminated, their status
terminated, and their visas revoked, presumably as a result
of that, are they able to have hearings.
>> That is what we're seeing. This litigation action, trying
to get these students back to having those conversations to
say, why was this terminated? What is the grounds for that?
And was it valid. >> From from your interactions
with these students and other lawyers that you're talking
with? Are they looking over their shoulder? Are they in
hiding? What are they doing? >> I think our communities are
in crisis right now. I think that people are very afraid when
we're watching people in Boston being taken off the street and
half masked officers. I don't know how you don't look over
your shoulder and how you don't worry about what's coming next.
Or am I supposed to be here or am I not? So I do believe that
the community is very much afraid for all of those reasons.
Rightfully so. Rightfully so.