Lagatar24 Desk
Washington: More than 130 international students in the United States have joined a federal lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of unlawfully cancelling their visas, putting their academic and immigration futures at risk. According to court documents, the students allege that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency abruptly terminated their legal status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database, leaving them vulnerable to arrest, detention, and deportation without due process.
The lawsuit was initially filed on April 11 in Georgia by 17 students and has since expanded to include over 116 more from across the country. The plaintiffs, who have chosen to remain anonymous due to fears of retaliation, include students from India, China, South Korea, and several other countries. They claim that the SEVIS terminations were arbitrary and often based on minor or unrelated incidents, with many students learning of their revoked status only after being notified by their universities.
One Chinese student pursuing a doctorate in engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology suspects a closed traffic violation might have triggered the cancellation. Another Indian student at the New York Institute of Technology said his visa was revoked despite being acquitted in a shoplifting case that had been dismissed. The complaint highlights that these revocations have caused widespread panic on campuses and come amidst increasing federal scrutiny on student visas and threats of cutting education-related funding.
The lawsuit names US Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons as defendants. It demands reinstatement of the revoked visas and an end to what students describe as unjust and sudden removals from the federal immigration system. The complaint also argues that these actions could have long-term implications, including bans on re-entering the US and disrupted educational careers.
In a broader context, the lawsuit reflects growing concern over the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration stance, particularly towards foreign students. Legal experts and civil rights advocates argue that these mass terminations may violate constitutional protections and international student rights. With tensions rising and the academic future of hundreds hanging in the balance, the case is expected to test the boundaries of immigration enforcement in educational spaces.
