Korean International Student Denied Entry to US... Due to New Visa Restrictions

Arrival hall of Terminal 1, Incheon International Airport on the 13th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Juhee] Amid the announcement of the Trump administration's visa restriction measures for foreign international students, a Korean international student at DePaul University in Chicago was denied entry while attempting to enter through San Francisco Airport on the 8th (local time).

On the 13th (local time), U.S. media such as the Chicago Tribune reported that 59 U.S. universities, including DePaul University, filed a lawsuit to block the government's visa restriction measures on students taking online courses, revealing cases of Korean students being denied entry.

According to the complaint, the Korean international student departed from Korea on the 8th and arrived at San Francisco Airport but was denied entry on the grounds of not meeting the revised eligibility requirements for the student visa.

Earlier, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), under the Department of Homeland Security, announced on the 6th through a revision of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) that students taking only online classes in the fall semester would not be issued visas.

This is the first time a case of a Korean national student being denied entry has been made public following the ICE announcement.

Carol Hughes, spokesperson for DePaul University, stated in a press release, "ICE's new regulations are forcing students to abandon their studies," adding, "We will lose many contributions that international students make to the university and the local economy."

Meanwhile, dozens of universities including DePaul University, as well as 17 state governments including Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on the 13th, demanding the immediate suspension of the international student entry restriction measures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.