The students often have something in common: objection in protests and elsewhere against Israel's U.S.-backed war with Hamas militants, which has killed more than 50,500 people in Gaza.

An increasing number of student deportation threats involve the revocation of visas based on relatively minor offenses like years-old misdemeanors, according to immigration attorneys, or sometimes no reason at all.

Attorney Taylor Renfro told The Arizona Republic that her client chose to return not long after learning their visa was revoked.