JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hundreds of international student visas have been revoked in about half of U.S. states, raising concerns about academic freedom and due process.

The actions have been linked to student involvement in pro-Palestinian activism as well as past infractions such as driving under the influence.

The Trump administration is citing a 1952 law to justify the revocations which some immigration attorneys view as part of a broader crackdown on immigration.

Protests have occurred at the University of Florida over the university’s handling of a student detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who later returned to Colombia.

“It really is heart-wrenching,” Johvan Merrilus, a University of North Florida (UNF) student and child of two Haitian immigrants, said. “Could you really call this the land of opportunity if you’re taking opportunity from those looking to not even do any harm to anyone.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the State Department is targeting students who participate in political activism.

“Once you’ve lost your visa, you’re no longer legally [allowed] to be in the United States, and we have a right, like every country in the world, to remove you from our country,” he said.

First Coast News legal analyst, Shannon Schott explained more on the Trump administration’s perspective.

“They are going to revoke the visas of individuals that they feel came to this country to take advantage of our constitutional rights to free assembly and free speech to support groups that they believe are terrorist organizations,” Schott said. 

Merrilus said the revocations are creating anxiety and uncertainty among students.

“Instead of people just casually living their lives, now they’re just at a point where they’re like, ‘Oh man, if I leave my house, I could possibly never come back,'” he said.

Jayden Davis, another UNF student, expressed concerns about the message the revocations send.

“If you’re not welcome in anywhere that we’re coming to escape and have a better education, then what are we doing right now?” Davis said.

Schott advises students to seek legal counsel and understand their rights.

“If you are here on a visa, just understanding that anything you do in the public forum can and will be used against you under this administration,” Schott said. “So just be very aware that you have to just be, like, 100% free from any law violations and, you know, really, like, off social media expressing your public opinion, because the administration is going to use it against you.”

First Coast News reached out to UNF about resources available to students but had not received a response as of airtime.