CAIR-SVCC Says the move is ‘state retaliation’ against student activism.
SACRAMENTO, CA – The Sacramento Valley/Central California office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SVCC) has issued a condemnation of the Trump administration’s revocation of over 300 international student visas, calling it “state retaliation” against students engaged in constitutionally protected political speech.
CAIR-SVCC, the regional branch of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, said in a statement Wednesday that the mass cancellations appear to target students—particularly those involved in pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses across the country.
“This administration has weaponized immigration enforcement against student activism,” said CAIR-SVCC Executive Director Reshad Noorzay. “We will not allow a generation of global scholars to be silenced or expelled simply for speaking truth to power. This is state retaliation—plain and simple.”
The organization is now providing legal screenings, immigration referrals, and advocacy support to affected students, including some enrolled in the University of California system and other regional institutions.
The visa cancellations were confirmed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a press conference in Guyana, where he said, “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas.” Students have been detained with little notice and, in some cases, transported to remote detention centers. Several arrests appear to have targeted students named on lists compiled by far-right groups that publicly advocate for the deportation of pro-Palestinian voices.
Among those detained are students with no criminal records, including doctoral candidates from Iran, Turkey, India, and Palestine. Some were allegedly singled out for participating in peaceful campus protests, writing op-eds, or merely being present at demonstrations.
In one high-profile case, Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University with a valid visa, was arrested and detained after co-authoring an opinion piece calling on the university to divest from companies linked to Israel. In another, Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, was detained over his activism. He remains in ICE custody as his legal challenge moves forward.
“This is an attack on speech,” said Samah Sisay, one of Khalil’s attorneys. “It shows that under this administration, speaking out on behalf of Palestinian rights can lead to criminalization and deportation.”
CAIR-SVCC has urged the Department of Homeland Security to immediately reinstate the revoked visas and cease what it calls “politically motivated targeting” of international students. Noorzay also called on university administrators and elected officials to stand publicly with students who are under threat.
“We urge campus leaders to show courage in this moment,” said Noorzay. “This is not just about immigration—it’s about the integrity of our academic institutions and the future of free expression in America.”
As protests continue and legal challenges mount, CAIR-SVCC and other civil rights organizations are vowing to resist what they describe as a new front in the Trump administration’s escalating crackdown on dissent.
The atmosphere at colleges at the more extreme of the protests and encampments should have been cracked down on for violence and violation of rights during Biden admin. This has led under Trump to a backlash so massive that is sweeping up people just for speaking out in favor of the Palestinian cause. What I do not know, after having read arguments on both sides, is what depth of first-amendment rights various levels of non-citizens actually have. That seems destined for the supreme court.