Trump administration restores visa registrations for foreign students
The Trump administration restored visa registrations for potentially thousands of foreign students.
Nine New Mexico State University international students have had their visas reinstated.
The visas were initially revoked due to infractions related to current law or outdated records.
Over 200 students have won court orders against similar visa revocations.
Nine international students at New Mexico State University have had their visas restored amid an apparent change of course by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The visas for nine students who had their visas revoked, have been reinstated, according to NMSU. An immigration termination or violation doesn’t impact a student’s enrollment or academic standing at NMSU, so the students affected were not disenrolled.
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NMSU recently reported the students had their visas revoked as a result of executive orders issued by Trump.
The university initially confirmed that six students had their visa revoked in April, but the university could not disclose the reason. However, since Trump took office, there have been more than 4,700 students deleted from the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database.
In a message to the campus community, NMSU President Valerio Ferme said that the revoked visas stem from the “result of infractions related to current law or outdated records,” not protests or social media posts.
Multiple universities have reported some international students discovered their visas were canceled in SEVIS via an unexpected text or email. Universities and the government use the database to track foreign students and students rely on it for their authorization to remain in the country. The terminations sparked more than 100 lawsuits.
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Over 200 students removed from SEVIS have won court orders temporarily barring the administration from taking actions against them, according to a Reuters count.
A U.S. District Court in New Mexico ruled in favor of a Ghanaian doctoral student at New Mexico Tech last week, who challenged the abrupt termination of his F-1 student status without explanation. The Court granted the temporary restraining order requested by his legal team, allowing him to maintain his academic standing while his case proceeds.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico and Huffman, Wallace & Monagle LLC are representing the student, referred to as, K.O.D. in the case.
“(The April 23, 2025) ruling sends a clear message that the government cannot arbitrarily target international students,” said Rebecca Sheff, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of New Mexico. “This is an important first step toward justice for K.O.D. and potentially hundreds of other international students facing similar situations.”
Republican voters may have one less candidate to choose from on their June primary ballot after one candidate failed to show up to file paperwork confirming his eligibility for the primary ballot.
State Senator Steve Lanier, a first-term legislator from San Juan County, and Duke Rodriguez, a former health department secretary and cannabis business owner, both failed to earn an automatic placement on the ballot provided to candidates who earn at least 20% of party delegate votes at the Pre-Primary Convention held earlier this month. Lanier pulled in just 7% and Rodriguez earned 9%.
State Sen. Steve Lanier appeared for initial candidate filing day on Feb. 3. He missed the secondary filing day on Mar. 17. (Source: Lanier campaign FB)
But both candidates appeared to have secured enough signatures from Republican voters to qualify outside of the party’s delegate process, provided they submitted those signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office on Tuesday.
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Lanier told The Santa Fe New Mexican that he missed the deadline and would now explore legal options to get on the ballot. “We are looking at legal options and may file a challenge, given that we filed with all the necessary signatures from the start,” he said. “I am committed to helping New Mexico thrive, and to building our Republican Party in every corner of the state.”
Rodriguez submitted the required additional signatures which are being reviewed by the secretary of state for qualification.
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Pat Davis is the founder and publisher of nm.news. In a prior life he served as an Albuquerque City Councilor.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – City and state leaders are calling for the removal of César Chávez’s name from public spaces following allegations of sexual assault against him.
A New York Times article revealed claims that Chávez sexually abused multiple women and young girls who worked alongside him in the civil rights movement. The news has caused shockwaves, especially at the intersection of Avenida Dolores Huerta and Avenida César Chávez.
“Shock, um, it’s been shocking, horrified and completely incompatible and unacceptable with the values of the Latino and Chicano and Hispanic community and the civil rights movement,” said Zackary Quintero, executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Chávez, stated she was one of his victims. She described two sexual encounters with Chávez that led to pregnancies and children she hid from the public eye.
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Quintero said the role Chávez plays in Albuquerque and the state needs re-examination. “I know that a community conversation needs to take place and that we’re going to be part of that conversation,” he said. “We’re supposed to be a home for our Chicano gente, our Latino gente, our Hispano gente, to be able to meet here and talk about these kind of issues.”
Mayor Tim Keller says changes are coming to the way Chávez is remembered. “I am directing City staff to work with the community and city council to take a fresh look at how Chávez is recognized across our programs, events, committees, and spaces, and to recommend changes that honor the full truth while continuing to uplift the movement for economic justice that shaped our community,” he said.
KOB 4 asked the city what that process entails and what the economic impact could look like but a city spokesperson re-iterated the statement above saying, “The mayor has directed staff to work with the City Council and the community to determine the best steps forward.”
Speaker of the House Javier Martinez added, “The allegations against César Chávez are horrific. I pray for all of the survivors, including Dolores Huerta. I keep Dolores, her family, and the entire farmworker movement in my heart. Chávez’s name should be removed from any and all public entities, swiftly.”
It’s not just Albuquerque, there are landmarks, parks, schools and more throughout New Mexico named after Chávez. For example, the César Chávez Elementary school in Santa Fe.
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School officials said they have “an established process for considering changing a school’s name.” They also added they would review the situation but any consideration of a name change would have to go before the the Board of Education. The district’s full statement is below.
Statement from Santa Fe Public Schools:
“Santa Fe Public Schools is aware of the recent allegations concerning the namesake of Cesar Chavez Elementary School. We understand that members of our community may have questions and concerns, and we take those perspectives seriously.
Santa Fe Public Schools has an established process for considering changes to a school’s name. At this time, district staff will review the situation, gather relevant information, and evaluate next steps in accordance with district policy. Any consideration of a name change would ultimately be brought before the Board of Education for discussion and direction.
We remain committed to engaging thoughtfully with our community and ensuring that any decisions are made through the appropriate processes and with careful consideration.”
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City and state leaders are calling for the removal of César Chávez’s name from public spaces following allegations of sexual assault against him.
A domestic-related shooting broke out Tuesday evening at a New Mexico Air Force base, resulting in one person dead and another injured, according to military base officials.
The shooting occurred at Holloman Air Force Base around 5:30 p.m. and a brief lockdown was placed following the reports of an active shooter, base officials told Military Times in a statement on Wednesday.
“The lockdown was lifted shortly thereafter when security forces personnel confirmed that the scene was safe,” the 49th Wing statement said.
Officials said that it was an “isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to our community.”
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The injured individual is an active-duty service member assigned to the Holloman base, per the statement, and the deceased was a military veteran that was previously stationed at the base.
“Based on the current investigation, this incident was domestic related, but the individuals were not married,” the statement reads.
The injured service member was transported for medical treatment and is in stable condition, according to the statement. Officials said the civilian was declared dead at the scene.
Officials say that the name of the injured service member will not be released due to privacy reasons, and the name of the deceased will not be released pending next of kin notifications.
Base officials confirmed in a statement to Military Times that the shooting took place near the shoppette.
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The shoppette remains closed until further notice, the base announced Tuesday on their Facebook page at 10:20 p.m.
The 49th Wing Security Forces Squadron and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations are tasked with handling the investigation.
Officials said that more information will be provided as it becomes available, as the investigation is still underway.
Holloman Air Force Base contains the 49th Wing, which deploys worldwide to support national security objectives, according to the base’s website. The wing also trains F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots and MQ-9 Reaper pilots and sensor operations, while also delivering Air Transportable Climes and Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources to personnel.
The base is located in southern New Mexico’s Tularosa Basin between the Sacramento and San Andrea mountain ranges. It is roughly 90 miles north of El Paso, Texas.
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Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
