The Trump administration is reinstating visas for hundreds of foreign students whose legal status was abruptly revoked, causing widespread fear of deportation, government officials confirmed Friday.
The reversal comes after more than 100 lawsuits were filed by students who lost their right to study at U.S. universities.
According to a BBC report, Justice Department attorney Elizabeth Kurlan told a federal court in California that immigration authorities are working on a new system for reviewing and terminating visas for international students. The shift follows the disruption of an estimated 1,800 students and 280 universities, as reported by Inside Higher Ed.
Many of the affected students had either participated in political protests or had minor prior criminal records, such as driving violations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously stated that the administration would revoke the status of individuals whose actions it considered harmful to U.S. interests. The sudden visa cancellations triggered panic across U.S. campuses, with some students leaving the country to avoid 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 students’ records would be restored in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which tracks foreign students’ visa status. However, Kurlan clarified that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) still has the authority to terminate SEVIS records if necessary.
“If a student fails to maintain nonimmigrant status after reactivation, or engages in other unlawful activity that makes them removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act,” Kurlan told the court, according to NBC News.
Attorneys representing students nationwide said their clients’ SEVIS records have been restored in recent days. However, legal advocates argue that the original revocations violated students’ rights and seriously disrupted 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 the ordeal is over for those whose records remain terminated.”
The Justice Department and ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Legal battles and policy changes continue to create uncertainty for foreign students and universities nationwide.
