Nearly a dozen international students and recent graduates at the University of Rochester have had their visas revoked, according to an email obtained by Spectrum News 1 sent to university students.

Five current Rochester students and six recent graduates have had their student visas revoked by federal authorities, according to a joint letter by U of R President Sarah Mangelsdorf and Nicole S. Sampson, provost and chief academic officer. Of those 11, the university leaders say nine have had their records terminated in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), maintained by the Department of Homeland Security.

U of R officials say the university was not informed of the decision ahead of time and they are "deeply troubled by the escalation of immigration enforcement activity toward our international students."

"We are committed to helping students, faculty, and staff navigate the uncertainty caused by the new immigration enforcement, working to help provide resources to affected individuals as well as to those who are anxious about their immigration status," the email read in part.

School officials say they are taking "immediate action" to support their international students, including establishing university-wide working groups focused on immigration scenarios like this. Officials say International Services Office staff are routinely monitoring the SEVIS database to check students’ legal status, and ISO staff are reaching out to impacted students to connect them with resources to evaluate their best enrollment and legal options. ISO is also on standby to provide resources to international students and scholars who may have questions or concerns.

The U of R has also published a set of FAQs regarding U.S. Immigration (ICE) Enforcement.

"There is absolutely no question that we would not be the university we are without our international students, faculty, staff, and alumni," the email said in part.

College leaders around the country say they are seeing similar situations. They say they are receiving little to no notice, and in some cases the reason for the revocation is unclear. 

Visas for more than a dozen current and former University at Buffalo international students were revoked within the last week, according to the university.  

The Trump administration has been cracking down on students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests. However, college leaders nationwide say some students impacted have no known connection to those protests.