Baala Shakya, Staff Photographer

The federal government terminated the visas of two more international students at Yale, according to Yale’s Office of International Students and Scholars, or OISS.

In a Thursday email to the News, OISS director Ozan Say wrote that “we now have four Yale community members impacted by SEVIS terminations,” referring to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, which the Department of Homeland Security uses to maintain information about international students. Previously, on Monday, Say told the News that the OISS had discovered two SEVIS terminations in the Yale community.

The News could not verify the students’ identities. University declined to comment on whether these students are undergraduate or graduate students, citing privacy concerns.

In an interview with the News, Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis clarified that the international students stripped of their visas by the federal government will be able to complete the academic year.

Lewis explained that if the students have to “travel” outside the country due to immigration restrictions, the University will communicate with professors to help them complete the semester. 

“I understand why it’s scary, and we’re very eager to support our students and to support every member of our community,” he said. “We recognize that it’s a scary time for international students.”

Say told the News that the office has supported the students who lost their visas in the past week by “immediately connecting them with legal resources,” including immigration attorneys and the option to engage habeas corpus attorneys. Lewis reaffirmed that the students will continue to receive pro-bono legal assistance until at least the end of the spring semester.

The immigration FAQ page published by the OISS notes that immigration attorneys partnered with the University will provide “short-term legal guidance” to international students regarding immigration issues, including visas.

If a student requires ongoing legal assistance, the website reads, the office will help them identify additional assistance.

“I think the current situation will be resolved by the end of the semester, one way or the other: either the students will be able to stay, or they’ll have to go,” he said. “And then we’ll work on what happens, when they can come back to the country and so on. That would vary a lot depending on their individual circumstances.”

Lewis added that “the issue for the fall” will be whether the students are able to return to campus, noting that students unable to acquire a visa in the past have transferred to overseas universities or taken gap semesters until they received a visa.

Visa issues affect a handful of students every year, according to Lewis. 

However, if an incoming student fails to attain a visa, they will be unable to enroll in the University, Lewis said.

He urged incoming international students to submit their paperwork as soon as possible to ensure their visa status while encouraging current international students to attend a “Know Your Rights” webinar hosted by the OISS.

On April 1, the OISS hosted a “Know Your Rights” webinar that discussed how to interact with ICE agents, risks of participating in protests and First Amendment protections. More than 500 Yale affiliates attended the event.

A second “Know Your Rights” webinar is planned for the near future, Say said.

The OISS is located at 421 Temple St.