US revokes thousands of student visas in 2025 over alleged crimes: The new legal grey zone for outsiders in America

In 2025, the Trump administration revoked over 6,000 student visas, citing alleged criminal activity and terrorism links, but the implications go deeper. The shift from conviction-based revocations to data-driven suspicion has blurred legality with perception. For many students, especially from India, China, and Iran, academic merit now coexists with heightened scrutiny, self-censorship, and conditional belonging in US academia.