Proposed Bill Bans Student Visas for Schools in Designated 'Sanctuary Cities,' Targeting F- and M-Visa Holders

This bill, officially titled the No Student Visas for Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025, makes a direct link between local government immigration policies and international student enrollment. Simply put, if an academic or vocational school is located in a jurisdiction that the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) determines is a “sanctuary jurisdiction,” international students applying for F-visas (academic) or M-visas (vocational) will not be issued those visas (SEC. 2).

The New Definition of 'Sanctuary'

What exactly qualifies as a “sanctuary jurisdiction” here? It’s defined broadly as any state or local government with policies that “actively get in the way” of federal immigration enforcement or “shield criminals” from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This includes refusing to honor ICE detainers, putting limits on complying with them, or blocking federal agents from interviewing people in custody. Essentially, if a city or state has rules designed to limit cooperation with federal immigration agencies, it’s on the hook for this new visa penalty (SEC. 2).

Who Gets Hit: The Education Sector and Students

For international students, this is a major curveball. If you’re an aspiring college student from abroad who wants to attend a university in, say, Chicago, San Francisco, or New York—all cities with current non-cooperation policies—and that jurisdiction gets designated by DHS, you won't get your F-1 student visa. The bill applies to all levels of education, from high schools and elementary schools to accredited language programs and colleges (SEC. 2).

This move effectively weaponizes the international student visa program as a pressure tactic against local governments. It doesn't directly fine the city, but it hits the local economy and educational institutions. Universities rely heavily on the tuition paid by international students, who often pay higher, out-of-state rates. If a major university in a designated city suddenly loses its pipeline of international students, that’s a significant financial blow that could lead to budget cuts, tuition hikes for everyone else, or program closures.

The Power of the Pen: DHS’s Discretion

One of the most important things to note is the power this bill grants to the Secretary of Homeland Security. Every year, the Secretary must identify which jurisdictions are non-compliant. This designation is highly discretionary, relying on subjective terms like “actively get in the way” and “unreasonable limits” when defining sanctuary policies. This means the Secretary holds the sole authority to decide which cities and states face the visa ban (SEC. 2).

The ban isn't permanent, though. If a jurisdiction changes its policies and starts cooperating with ICE, the Secretary can lift the restriction in a future fiscal year and must report that change to Congress. But until that happens, the local educational sector bears the cost of the local government’s policy choices. This creates a direct federal-local policy conflict where the federal government uses the economic leverage of international student enrollment to force compliance on state and local immigration policies.