TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REINSTATES VISAS FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS AFTER LEGAL CHALLENGE
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The Trump administration has decided to reinstate visas for hundreds of foreign students whose legal status was abruptly revoked, causing widespread fears of deportation, officials confirmed on Friday.
The decision comes after more than 100 lawsuits were filed by students who lost their right to continue studying at U.S. universities.
Justice Department attorney Elizabeth Kurlan told a federal court in California on Friday that immigration authorities are working on a new system for reviewing and terminating visas for international students.
According to Inside Higher Ed, around 1,800 students and 280 universities were affected by the initial policy.
Many of the affected students had either taken part in political protests or had minor prior criminal records, such as traffic violations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier stated that the government would revoke the visas of those considered threats to U.S. interests.
The mass visa cancellations caused panic on campuses nationwide, prompting some students to leave the U.S. to avoid possible detention or deportation.
“Losing their SEVIS records left students vulnerable to immigration actions — and possible detention and deportation,” said Elora Mukherjee, director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School.
The Justice Department announced that student records would be restored in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, which monitors foreign students’ visa compliance. However, Kurlan clarified that Immigration and Customs Enforcement retains the authority to terminate SEVIS records for other reasons.
“If a student fails to maintain his or her nonimmigrant status after the record is reactivated, or engages in other unlawful activity that would render him or her removable from the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act,” Kurlan told the court.
Attorneys representing students nationwide reported that their clients’ SEVIS records have been restored in recent days. Despite the reinstatements, legal advocates argue that the revocations violated students’ rights and disrupted their ability to pursue their education.
“What I’m hearing is that this is a reprieve for many students who have had their status reinstated in SEVIS,” Mukherjee said. “But this doesn’t mean this ordeal is over for the students who have had their records terminated.”
The Justice Department and ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The ongoing legal battles and policy changes continue to create uncertainty for foreign students and universities across the country.
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