The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed grave concern and outrage following reports that more than 300 international students across the country have had their student visas revoked by the Department of Homeland Security and are being ordered to leave the United States.
SEE: Trump takes aim at foreign-born college students, with 300 visas revoked
Among those impacted are several dozen students from California universities—including Stanford and the University of California campuses in Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles, and San Diego—whose visas were abruptly terminated without warning. This sweeping action comes amid growing fears that the Trump administration is targeting international students—particularly those engaged in political activism around Palestine—for exercising their constitutionally protected First Amendment rights.
“The Trump administration has made it clear it will target students based on their First Amendment activity,” said CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush. “It is unacceptable—and deeply un-American—for students to be punished for standing up for human rights. These politically motivated revocations are not only chilling but an attack on the legacy of student activism in this country.”
CAIR-CA is working in collaboration with impacted students, campus groups, and partner legal organizations to investigate the scope of the visa cancellations and to offer advocacy and legal support.
“We call on the Department of Homeland Security to immediately reverse these unjust revocations, and we urge university officials, elected leaders, and civil society to stand firmly with international students targeted for their advocacy,” said Ayloush. “No one should face deportation for raising their voice against injustice.”
Students or community members impacted by visa revocations or related intimidation can contact CAIR-CA’s legal team by filling out an intake form at ca.cair.com/immigration-services/.
Last month, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report, “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. The report found that viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.
In addition to legal support, CAIR-CA encourages students, staff, and faculty to report discriminatory campus environments through CAIR’s “Hostile Campuses” initiative, which tracks institutions where individuals have been targeted for opposing occupation, apartheid, or genocide. Campuses can be submitted for review at islamophobia.org/reportcampus.
CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACTS: CAIR Greater Los Angeles Area Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, 714.851.4851, eelkadi@cair.com; CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California Communications Contact Tasneem Manjra, 916.441.6469, tManjra@cair.com; CAIR San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam, 760.201.7626, tnizam@cair.com; CAIR San Francisco Bay Area Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, 408.498.5779, ladam@cair.com