Cornell doctoral candidate says visa was revoked and personal Google data shared with ICE before he left the U.S.
Jonathan Roman | Staff Writer
Amandla Thomas-Johnson, an international doctoral student, left the United States after learning his personal Google account information had been shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Thomas-Johnson self-deported to Canada and later relocated to Switzerland after receiving an email informing him that his student visa had been terminated. Approximately 90 minutes later, he received a separate notification stating that his personal Google account data had been turned over to ICE.
Thomas-Johnson had briefly attended a 2024 career fair at Cornell that was disrupted by a pro-Palestinian protest. He was present for only five minutes. Following the event, he was banned from campus while continuing to reside in university housing. Months later, amid heightened immigration enforcement policies, Thomas-Johnson said he became increasingly concerned after a friend was detained and questioned about his whereabouts at a Florida airport. He ultimately left the country out of fear.
According to the report, Google provided ICE with a range of personal information, including usernames, physical addresses, credit card information, and bank account numbers. The subpoena reportedly had not been approved by a judge, according to The Intercept. Google stated that it reviews legal demands for validity and pushes back against requests deemed overbroad or improper.
Cornell University informed Thomas-Johnson that his legal status was terminated under Section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows revocation of visas at the discretion of a consular officer or the Secretary of State. The university also confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security did not monitor his student email account.
Thomas-Johnson now continues his Ph.D. studies remotely from Geneva.
While the case involves Cornell University, federal immigration policy applies uniformly to international students across the United States, including those at Florida International University. Universities oversee enrollment reporting through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Still, the authority to issue and revoke visas rests with federal agencies under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
FIU enrolls thousands of students on F-1 visas, which remain subject to federal oversight throughout a student’s academic program. Visa revocations are administered by the U.S. Department of State or other federal authorities, and institutions are notified of changes to a student’s immigration status through federal systems. There is no indication of similar incidents involving FIU students at this time.
The case highlights how immigration determinations are made at the federal level, independent of a university’s day-to-day academic administration.
About Post Author
