At least 23 international students attending Utah colleges and universities on recently revoked student visas saw their status reinstated Friday, after an about-face from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Salt Lake Tribune confirmed that by the time of Friday’s reversal, at least one of the estimated 50 Utah international students affected had already left the United States — a Salt Lake Community College student who departed about a week ago, according to a college spokesperson.
The largest number of revocations reported to The Salt Lake Tribune came from the University of Utah, the state’s oldest university. Officials there said at least 22 students had their visas revoked in the wide-ranging federal action that The New York Times reported canceled more than 1,500 student visas nationwide and sent letters from President Donald Trump’s administration to “self-deport.”
The University of Utah announced Friday that, so far, 12 students’ visas have been reinstated. A university spokesperson declined to share additional details later Friday afternoon, saying staff were still gathering information and contacting the students who were affected.
The reinstatement of those visas came after a DOJ attorney’s surprise announcement in a Friday court hearing, according to The New York Times. The attorney said immigration officials were developing a new system to handle such deportations, and The Times reported until it was finalized, “agencies would not make additional changes or further revocations.”
Southern Utah University and Utah Tech University each told The Tribune that 10 students were affected — more than any other Utah college or university outside of the U.
As of Friday, SUU said three of those students’ statuses were reinstated.
University officials are “actively monitoring” the situation, according to a prepared statement.
“We continue to be in communication with our international students, sharing guidance and resources to keep them informed and supported,” the statement continued. “As a public institution of higher education, SUU follows state and federal laws.”
At Utah Tech University, a spokesperson said half — or five — of its affected students had their statuses reinstated.
While one Salt Lake Community College student opted to leave the United States, the two others affected have filed for reinstatement and plan to finish the semester, according to SLCC spokesperson Peta Owens-Liston.
At Weber State University in Ogden, a spokesperson confirmed Friday that three of five affected students had their status restored.
A spokesperson for Westminster University, a small, private university in Salt Lake City, said Friday that none of its 35 international students had their visas revoked.
