The US government has disclosed new details about its recent crackdown on international students, admitting that thousands were targeted in a move that abruptly stripped many of their legal status — sparking lawsuits, panic, and confusion nationwide.
These revelations come as students, whose visas were revoked without clear explanation in recent weeks, challenge the government’s actions in court. Many students found their names removed from the SEVIS database maintained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leading some to go into hiding or return to their home countries, PTI reported.
After growing legal pressure, federal authorities said Friday they are reinstating the students’ legal status while crafting a clearer policy. A document filed Monday laid out updated guidelines, which now allow student status termination on broader grounds — including visa revocations, a significant expansion from previous rules.
Immigration attorney Brad Banias, representing a student named Akshar Patel, criticised the new policy, saying it gives ICE unchecked power. “This just gave them carte blanche to have the State Department revoke a visa and then deport those students even if they’ve done nothing wrong,” he said.
Patel, who had a reckless driving charge in 2018 that was later dropped, was one of 6,400 students flagged in a database search using the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC). A spreadsheet of 734 students, including Patel, was reportedly sent to Homeland Security, with instructions to terminate their records in SEVIS within 24 hours — without any individual review.
US District Judge Ana Reyes called out the rushed action, saying, “All of this could have been avoided if someone had taken a beat,” criticising the government’s lack of concern for foreign students.
The abrupt terminations led to confusion on college campuses. Some institutions, unaware of the reasons behind the status changes, advised students to halt classes or employment and warned of potential deportation.
Despite these disruptions, DHS lawyer Andre Watson clarified in court that Patel is legally present in the US and not subject to detention or removal. The judge declined to issue an injunction but urged both sides to settle the case to protect Patel’s stay.
