University of Houston assistant professor Hyeongseon Jeon has had his visa revoked amid a growing wave of terminations impacting international academics and students across Texas.
A professor at the University of Houston has recently found themselves among the latest academics affected by a rising trend of visa terminations throughout Texas.
Dr. Hyeongseon Jeon, who began his tenure at the university in 2024, received notification that his visa had been unexpectedly revoked, as the university stated and conveyed in a message he shared with students.
Dr. Jeon, who had a dual role in the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences, stated that he would be returning to South Korea to address the situation. He obtained his Ph.D. from Iowa State University and started teaching at UH last year.
The university announced that Jeon’s visa was terminated because of issues concerning his recent status as a graduate student at a different institution, although additional details have not been provided. His departure occurs during the spring semester, resulting in students in an upper-level mathematics course having to complete the term with a different faculty member.
“I deeply regret that I will not be able to complete this course with you, and I genuinely apologize for the unexpected change,” Jeon expressed in a message shared widely across social media platforms.
The situation has raised alarms within the UH community, particularly as it follows reports indicating that numerous international students throughout Texas have experienced visa revocations in recent weeks due to the Trump administration's recent clampdown on visa enforcement.
A Reddit post outlining Jeon’s situation rapidly gained traction, leading to a significant wave of support from students and alumni, many of whom voiced their frustration and concern regarding the growing scrutiny faced by international academics.
Currently, UH officials report that no additional faculty members have been impacted. Jeon’s students are now faced with the sudden absence of a professor in the middle of the semester, along with the wider consequences this may indicate.
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