A story about a UCLA international student getting her visa revoked for protesting the war in Gaza seems to be false. The viral report from an X account suggested that a Chinese student was snagged in the Trump administration’s new policy to deport international students who protest on campus.
But, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official told Annenberg Media they cannot confirm this even happened.
It all started when an account titled “Inevitablewest” posted a video on X claiming a student by the name of Liu Lijun had their visa revoked due to their involvement in pro-Palestine protests. The X post had more than 49 million views Tuesday night. The account frequently posts Islamophobic and white nationalist content.
The person in the video has a different name, sources familiar with the protests confirmed. Annenberg Media asked ICE, which responded in an email.
“We have nothing to support these claims as being true,” the ICE official said.
Commenters raised concern over a potential infringement of First Amendment rights, while others praised the action.
This follows President Donald Trump’s executive order 13899, taking “Forceful and Unprecedented Steps to Combat Anti-Semitism.”
The order pushes institutions of higher education to combat antisemitism on campuses by removing or holding those committing “pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation.” The order also “demands the removal of resident aliens who violate our laws.”
The person in the video was reportedly arrested back in May 2024, protesting on campus about the Israel-Hamas conflict. It is unclear if she ever was a student attending UCLA and Annenberg Media has not been able to contact the person in the video.
UCLA media relations did not respond to Annenberg Media’s request for comment.
A UC spokesman said in a statement to the LA Times that the university system “is unwavering in its commitment to combating antisemitism” and was “carefully reviewing the president’s executive order while continuing our work fostering an environment free of harassment and discrimination.”