Cornell has quietly announced that “a small number” of international students have had their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System records terminated in an update to a University FAQ webpage made on April 9. As of publication, administrators did not disclose the number of students affected to The Sun.
The SEVIS terminations — which end the affected students’ immigration status — are only addressed in a single section of an FAQ page intended for Cornell’s international community. The FAQ page, titled “Visa and SEVIS Record FAQ,” was published on a website created by the University to provide the Cornell community with information on relevant Trump administration action.
In recent weeks, hundreds of students across the country have had visas revoked and now face potential deportation. Data collected by Inside Higher Ed estimates that, as of April 12, over 950 international students nationwide had their legal statuses changed. These developments come amid funding freezes at several universities, including Cornell, where $1 billion in federal funds were reported suspended last week.
Prior to the update on the FAQ page, Cornell had not reported any visa revocations. However, guidance published on March 31 instructed international students to notify Cornell International Services immediately should they receive any correspondence saying that their visa has been terminated.
Since the publication of the FAQ page, administrators have repeatedly declined to disclose to The Sun how many students were affected by the revocations. They instead directed The Sun to the FAQ page.
The FAQ page states, “As of today (April 09, 2025), the university has only learned of a small number of SEVIS record terminations. The vast majority of international students have not been affected.”
When asked by The Sun on two separate occasions why Cornell could not confirm the number of revocations, a University spokesperson did not respond to the question. Instead, Cornell Media Relations emphasized the information already available on the FAQ webpage.
Meanwhile, many of Cornell’s peer institutions whose students faced similar visa revocations have shared details about how many of their community members were affected.
At the University of Pennsylvania, top administrators announced the initial revocation of three students’ visas in an April 7 email.
Harvard University’s International Office broadcast released an update about 12 visa revocations in an email to the campus community. According to The Harvard Crimson, Jeremy Weinstein, the dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, also denounced the news in an email sent to “HKS affiliates.” The Crimson called the email “the most direct public response yet to the visa revocations by a top Harvard official.”
In addition to revealing the visa revocations, the Cornell FAQ page described the federal government’s termination of SEVIS records as an unprecedented reversal of a role typically only carried out by the University.
“For the first time since the creation of SEVIS, we are finding SEVIS record terminations completed by federal authorities,” the FAQ page stated.
The FAQ page also clarified that SEVIS terminations do not necessarily require students to leave the country. Instead, the page advises students to seek legal counsel to understand their options. However, if a student’s status is not reinstated, they may face consequences — including deportation — for remaining in the United States.
The Student Assembly passed Resolution 37 on March 6, which called on the University to provide legal assistance for immigrant students by building upon establishing new University initiatives and building off existing initiatives, including clinics at the Law School. The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly adopted a similar resolution on March 24.
President Michael Kotlikoff had until Friday to respond to the Student Assembly's resolution, but he failed to issue an official reply before the deadline. A message to the Assembly from his office; however, said that a response may come this week.
Cornell International Services suggests students contact the local law firm Miller Mayer for a free legal consultation, set up by the University.
Benjamin Leynse is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a News Editor for the 143rd editorial board, and a former senior writer. He can be reached at bleynse@cornellsun.com.
