The Trump Administration has said that it will review the visa statuses of the 78 students arrested in the Butler Library occupation on Wednesday, May 7. 

On Thursday, May 8, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trump Administration would be reviewing the visa statuses of the 78 students arrested during the protests in Butler Library Room 301 on Wednesday, May 7th. He stated that “Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome in our great nation.”

Various GOP lawmakers are celebrating this initiative, with Speaker Mike Johnson writing “attention pro-Hamas rioters on college campuses across the country: you are on notice,” on X. These comments come as the Trump administration continues to scrutinize Columbia as a whole, especially international students, including the detainment of Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Madhawi, two individuals with legal status who were detained for participating in protests.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon is also a part of the Columbia Task Force on Antisemitism, and said in a statement on X, “Columbia’s leadership responded with resolve, and we commend the administration for a swift response that restored order and clarified that antisemitic mobs will no longer be tolerated.” The comment was made in response to Acting President Claire Shipman’s video emailed to the Columbia community on Thursday morning, in which she stated that she was “deeply disturbed at the idea that at a moment when our international community feels particularly vulnerable, a small group of students would choose to make our institution a target.”

The Trump administration has not yet begun a formal investigation into the students detained. 

This is a developing story. Bwog will publish updates as additional information becomes available.

Marco Rubio via Gage Skidmore on Flickr