Visa Terminations for International Students Reversed Amid Legal Challenges: Check Details

During a federal court hearing on Friday, Justice Department lawyer Elizabeth Kurlan confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is working to reinstate the visas of affected students. Kurlan explained that ICE is updating the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which tracks over one million international students in the U.S., to reflect the students’ corrected status.

The decision comes after more than 100 lawsuits were filed by students, many of whom had their visas terminated over minor issues or charges that were later dropped. Some students were affected after joining political protests or being flagged in criminal background checks, even when they were not convicted of serious crimes. Students involved in Pro-Palestinian protests were especially targeted by the new administration.

The Trump administration’s visa revocation impacted over 1,800 students across 280 universities, although estimates suggest that up to 4,000 students may have been affected. This caused confusion and panic, with some students leaving the U.S. and others choosing to study elsewhere.

In a recent update, ICE informed the court that it is working to develop clearer rules for when SEVIS records should be terminated. Until the new rules are finalized, ICE will restore the records of students affected by the visa revocations, including those involved in lawsuits and those not suing.

One case that gained widespread attention was that of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist at Columbia University. Despite holding a Green Card, Khalil was ordered to leave the country after supporting the Palestinian cause. A U.S. judge upheld the deportation order, leaving Khalil in a difficult situation.

The Trump administration also pressured Harvard University to provide records of its foreign students, threatening to prevent the university from enrolling international students if they did not comply.