Immigration

mickeyrat

On Thursday, agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered a Columbia University apartment and detained a student, Elmina Aghayeva, alleging that, after “failing to attend classes,” her student visa had been terminated in 2016. Aghayeva, a neuroscience and politics double major from Azerbaijan, is also a college-life-style influencer.

That morning, she’d posted a photo of her legs in the back of a car, with the words “DHS illegally arrested me. Please help.” It was almost exactly a year after ICE arrested Mahmoud Khalil, then a graduate student, while he was living in university housing. Read how students reacted to the news of Aghayeva’s arrest: https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/c4HrOe

Get_Right

Visa expired 10 years ago. What exactly was illegal other than her overstaying? Not taking classes, then no student visa. It is not complicated. If you are not here legally, then there is a chance the current admin might come for you. Not saying it is right, but it is the current reality.

gimmesometruth27

why don't they put these ice badasses on the front line in iran where they might have to actually face a real threat to their person?

HughFreakingDillon

Get_Right said:

Visa expired 10 years ago. What exactly was illegal other than her overstaying? Not taking classes, then no student visa. It is not complicated. If you are not here legally, then there is a chance the current admin might come for you. Not saying it is right, but it is the current reality.

It’s because the maga narrative is sending back the worst of the worst. That is their supposed focus. 

Just more BS. ICE isn’t capable of taking down the worst of the worst. They aren’t properly trained for that, and the admin knows it. They are going after soft targets and we all know it. 

cincybearcat

So her student visa expired 10 years ago and she is still a college student? This isn’t adding up.

Tim Simmons

College is expensive. Maybe she was slowly working her way through school. 

Seems like there should more details though. 

Tim Simmons

My personal stance is she’s paying money you our universities, shopping in our businesses, contributing to our society. So who gives a shit if they are here illegally. I’m not gonna get that bent out of shape if things seem off. 

gimmesometruth27

Tim Simmons said:

College is expensive. Maybe she was slowly working her way through school. 

Seems like there should more details though. 

yes and where is the law that states to be a college student you have to be enrolled in succeeding semesters. maybe she had to stop pursuing education due to medical bills or something.

gimmesometruth27

Tim Simmons said:

My personal stance is she’s paying money you our universities, shopping in our businesses, contributing to our society. So who gives a shit if they are here illegally. I’m not gonna get that bent out of shape if things seem off. 

agreed

Get_Right

gimmesometruth27 said:

Tim Simmons said:

College is expensive. Maybe she was slowly working her way through school. 

Seems like there should more details though. 

yes and where is the law that states to be a college student you have to be enrolled in succeeding semesters. maybe she had to stop pursuing education due to medical bills or something.

A student visa is only valid when you are enrolled. You might get away with part time enrollment, but it usually requires 12 credits at a minimum. It has been that way for ages. Only now it is easier to track. Google it yourself professor. And visas have never been harder to obtain.

gimmesometruth27

Get_Right said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

Tim Simmons said:

College is expensive. Maybe she was slowly working her way through school. 

Seems like there should more details though. 

yes and where is the law that states to be a college student you have to be enrolled in succeeding semesters. maybe she had to stop pursuing education due to medical bills or something.

A student visa is only valid when you are enrolled. You might get away with part time enrollment, but it usually requires 12 credits at a minimum. It has been that way for ages. Only now it is easier to track. Google it yourself professor. And visas have never been harder to obtain.

so if someone is taking 12 hours and they need to drop a 3 hour class rather than take a poor grade they invalidate their visa?? doesn't sound right.

Get_Right

gimmesometruth27 said:

Get_Right said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

Tim Simmons said:

College is expensive. Maybe she was slowly working her way through school. 

Seems like there should more details though. 

yes and where is the law that states to be a college student you have to be enrolled in succeeding semesters. maybe she had to stop pursuing education due to medical bills or something.

A student visa is only valid when you are enrolled. You might get away with part time enrollment, but it usually requires 12 credits at a minimum. It has been that way for ages. Only now it is easier to track. Google it yourself professor. And visas have never been harder to obtain.

so if someone is taking 12 hours and they need to drop a 3 hour class rather than take a poor grade they invalidate their visa?? doesn't sound right.

But it is. You can be here as an accepted full time student. Less than 12 is not full time. I do not make the rules. But hey there are thousands that break this rule. Only a small percentage get caught.

gimmesometruth27

Get_Right said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

Get_Right said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

Tim Simmons said:

College is expensive. Maybe she was slowly working her way through school. 

Seems like there should more details though. 

yes and where is the law that states to be a college student you have to be enrolled in succeeding semesters. maybe she had to stop pursuing education due to medical bills or something.

A student visa is only valid when you are enrolled. You might get away with part time enrollment, but it usually requires 12 credits at a minimum. It has been that way for ages. Only now it is easier to track. Google it yourself professor. And visas have never been harder to obtain.

so if someone is taking 12 hours and they need to drop a 3 hour class rather than take a poor grade they invalidate their visa?? doesn't sound right.

But it is. You can be here as an accepted full time student. Less than 12 is not full time. I do not make the rules. But hey there are thousands that break this rule. Only a small percentage get caught.

seems kind of draconian to me. the choice is either accept a bad grade and lower the gpa or violate your own visa.

seems strange because people drop classes and retake them later all the time.

Get_Right

gimmesometruth27 said:

Get_Right said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

Get_Right said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

Tim Simmons said:

College is expensive. Maybe she was slowly working her way through school. 

Seems like there should more details though. 

yes and where is the law that states to be a college student you have to be enrolled in succeeding semesters. maybe she had to stop pursuing education due to medical bills or something.

A student visa is only valid when you are enrolled. You might get away with part time enrollment, but it usually requires 12 credits at a minimum. It has been that way for ages. Only now it is easier to track. Google it yourself professor. And visas have never been harder to obtain.

so if someone is taking 12 hours and they need to drop a 3 hour class rather than take a poor grade they invalidate their visa?? doesn't sound right.

But it is. You can be here as an accepted full time student. Less than 12 is not full time. I do not make the rules. But hey there are thousands that break this rule. Only a small percentage get caught.

seems kind of draconian to me. the choice is either accept a bad grade and lower the gpa or violate your own visa.

seems strange because people drop classes and retake them later all the time.

But not if you are here on a visa. You take 12-15 credits or the visa is invalid. Same would apply to you if you went abroad. If you are a US citizen, you have the luxury of dropping classes. Not true for foreign visitors.

Tim Simmons

Well, we should let em stay anyway

mickeyrat

altnatparkservice adbook post....

Gregory Kent Bovino is now under criminal investigation by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for his conduct during Operation Metro Surge. On January 21, 2026, Bovino was filmed near Mueller Park in Minneapolis’s Lowry Hill East neighborhood deploying a smoke canister into a crowd of protesters and bystanders.

On March 2, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the launch of the Transparency and Accountability Project (TAP), a new initiative reviewing 17 separate incidents involving what her office described as “potential unlawful behavior” by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge. Bovino’s actions at Mueller Park are among the cases under review.

The county has also launched a public portal inviting residents to submit videos, photos, and witness accounts related to potentially illegal conduct by federal agents during the operation.

gimmesometruth27

mickeyrat said:

altnatparkservice adbook post....

Gregory Kent Bovino is now under criminal investigation by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for his conduct during Operation Metro Surge. On January 21, 2026, Bovino was filmed near Mueller Park in Minneapolis’s Lowry Hill East neighborhood deploying a smoke canister into a crowd of protesters and bystanders.

On March 2, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the launch of the Transparency and Accountability Project (TAP), a new initiative reviewing 17 separate incidents involving what her office described as “potential unlawful behavior” by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge. Bovino’s actions at Mueller Park are among the cases under review.

The county has also launched a public portal inviting residents to submit videos, photos, and witness accounts related to potentially illegal conduct by federal agents during the operation.

wow. maybe someone will finally get into some sort of trouble over all of this.

cincybearcat

gimmesometruth27 said:

Get_Right said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

Tim Simmons said:

College is expensive. Maybe she was slowly working her way through school. 

Seems like there should more details though. 

yes and where is the law that states to be a college student you have to be enrolled in succeeding semesters. maybe she had to stop pursuing education due to medical bills or something.

A student visa is only valid when you are enrolled. You might get away with part time enrollment, but it usually requires 12 credits at a minimum. It has been that way for ages. Only now it is easier to track. Google it yourself professor. And visas have never been harder to obtain.

so if someone is taking 12 hours and they need to drop a 3 hour class rather than take a poor grade they invalidate their visa?? doesn't sound right.

Sounds right.

F-1 visa holders must maintain full-time enrollment (usually 12+ credits for undergraduates, 9+ for graduates) during fall and spring semesters to maintain legal status

. Summer/winter sessions are generally optional unless required by your program. Only one online course (3 credits) counts toward full-time status per term. UMBC - University Of Maryland, Baltimore County +3

Key Rules for Maintaining Status:

• Full-Time Enrollment: You must be enrolled every semester (excluding summer/winter).
• Authorized Reduced Course Load (RCL): You may drop below full-time only with prior Designated School Official (DSO) approval for reasons like academic difficulty, illness, or final semester.
• Maintain Status: You must make normal progress toward your degree, keep your passport valid, and report address changes within 10 days.
• Employment: On-campus employment is allowed up to 20 hours/week during terms. Off-campus employment requires specific authorization (CPT/OPT).
• Travel: A valid travel signature on your I-20 is required to re-enter the U.S.. USCIS (.gov) +4

Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to termination of your SEVIS record and loss of legal status. 

cincybearcat

Tim Simmons said:

Well, we should let em stay anyway

nah, enforce the rules, just like other countries 

cincybearcat

gimmesometruth27 said:

Get_Right said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

Get_Right said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

Tim Simmons said:

College is expensive. Maybe she was slowly working her way through school. 

Seems like there should more details though. 

yes and where is the law that states to be a college student you have to be enrolled in succeeding semesters. maybe she had to stop pursuing education due to medical bills or something.

A student visa is only valid when you are enrolled. You might get away with part time enrollment, but it usually requires 12 credits at a minimum. It has been that way for ages. Only now it is easier to track. Google it yourself professor. And visas have never been harder to obtain.

so if someone is taking 12 hours and they need to drop a 3 hour class rather than take a poor grade they invalidate their visa?? doesn't sound right.

But it is. You can be here as an accepted full time student. Less than 12 is not full time. I do not make the rules. But hey there are thousands that break this rule. Only a small percentage get caught.

seems kind of draconian to me. the choice is either accept a bad grade and lower the gpa or violate your own visa.

seems strange because people drop classes and retake them later all the time.

The choice is to take enough credits to be a full time student. If you are concerned, schedule more than 12. Or do your job. Seems completely normal.