FactCheck: No Evidence! UCLA Student’s Visa Was Not Revoked Over Pro-Palestinian Protest
BY: Mustapha Lawal
Claim:
A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) claims a Chinese international student at UCLA had her visa revoked for participating in a pro-Palestinian protest.
Verdict:
False! U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed there is no evidence to support the claim. The person in the video has not been verified as a UCLA student, and there is no documentation or official record of visa revocation.
Full Text
In early February 2025, a viral claim spread across social media, particularly on X, alleging that a UCLA international student named Liu Lijun had her visa revoked for participating in a pro-Palestinian protest on campus.
The post originated from an account known as @inevitablewest, which has previously shared Islamophobic and far-right content. The post quickly gained traction, racking up over 49 million views and sparking debate about First Amendment rights, student activism, and U.S. immigration policy.
It claimed that the student was caught up in new enforcement measures tied to former President Donald Trump’s executive order on campus antisemitism (Executive Order 13899).
Verification
FactCheckAfrica reviewed a detailed investigation published by USC Annenberg Media on February 4, 2025.
According to their report, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) denied any knowledge of the claim, stating via email: “We have nothing to support these claims as being true.”
Furthermore, sources familiar with the UCLA protest confirmed that the individual in the video was misidentified. The name “Liu Lijun” does not match the person shown. Annenberg Media attempted to contact the individual, but her identity and student status could not be confirmed.
There is also no record from UCLA media relations, nor any public announcement from the university confirming a visa revocation. The University of California system released a general statement affirming its commitment to addressing antisemitism, but it did not reference the viral claim or any student action.
The executive order cited in the posts, EO 13899, mandates federal enforcement against antisemitism on campus, including potential consequences for foreign nationals. However, there is no public record of any student being deported under this order to date.
Conclusion
There is no evidence that a UCLA student named Liu Lijun had her visa revoked for participating in a pro-Palestinian protest. ICE has officially denied the claim, and independent investigations confirmed the individual in the video was misidentified. The claim is false and appears to be part of a misinformation campaign designed to incite fear and division around student activism and immigration policy in the U.S.
