Trump restores legal status for international students amid lawsuits, for now
The Trump administration reversed course on Friday, reinstating student visa records for international students in the U.S. after thousands were terminated, potentially facing deportation. This decision came during a court hearing in Boston, where...
By ET Online | Updated:
Agencies
The Trump administration has temporarily reinstated the legal status of thousands of international students in the U.S., following a series of lawsuits and emergency court orders. This move was disclosed during a federal court hearing on Friday, but immigration officials maintained that these students could still face future termination of their status and visas.
The shift by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comes after weeks of uncertainty, during which the administration canceled more than 1,500 student visas. On Friday, a Justice Department lawyer, Joseph F. Carilli, informed a judge that ICE had started developing a new process for reviewing student records. While that process is underway, records recently deleted from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) will be restored, reinstating students’ legal right to remain in the country.
A senior official from the Department of Homeland Security, speaking anonymously, said, “The students whose legal status was restored could still have it terminated later.”
Friday’s announcement follows mounting legal pressure. Dozens of international students had filed lawsuits stating they were stripped of their status without clear justification. Some students cited minor infractions such as traffic violations, while others claimed there was no explanation at all. These cases led to a series of emergency judicial interventions halting ICE’s actions.
Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, clarified the administration’s stance: “We have not reversed course on a single visa revocation. What we did is restore SEVIS access for people who had not had their visa revoked.”
It remains unclear how many students have already left the U.S. since their records were deleted. Some left voluntarily, fearing arrest or deportation, while others chose not to pursue legal challenges.
The administration described the move as a temporary measure and has not ruled out further action against students whose records had been flagged.
The shift by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comes after weeks of uncertainty, during which the administration canceled more than 1,500 student visas. On Friday, a Justice Department lawyer, Joseph F. Carilli, informed a judge that ICE had started developing a new process for reviewing student records. While that process is underway, records recently deleted from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) will be restored, reinstating students’ legal right to remain in the country.
A senior official from the Department of Homeland Security, speaking anonymously, said, “The students whose legal status was restored could still have it terminated later.”
Friday’s announcement follows mounting legal pressure. Dozens of international students had filed lawsuits stating they were stripped of their status without clear justification. Some students cited minor infractions such as traffic violations, while others claimed there was no explanation at all. These cases led to a series of emergency judicial interventions halting ICE’s actions.
Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, clarified the administration’s stance: “We have not reversed course on a single visa revocation. What we did is restore SEVIS access for people who had not had their visa revoked.”
It remains unclear how many students have already left the U.S. since their records were deleted. Some left voluntarily, fearing arrest or deportation, while others chose not to pursue legal challenges.
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The administration described the move as a temporary measure and has not ruled out further action against students whose records had been flagged.
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