Trump Administration to Restore Foreign Students’ US Visas After Court Setbacks

Trump Administration to Restore Foreign Students’ US Visas After Court Setbacks

The Trump administration has reversed its recent policy of abruptly terminating the legal status of thousands of foreign students in the United States, following a series of court setbacks and widespread legal challenges. The administration had previously removed student records from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a federal database that tracks over 1.1 million international students, which effectively rendered those students vulnerable to deportation and barred them from continuing their studies.

The mass terminations, many triggered by minor infractions or dismissed legal charges, led to panic among students and prompted more than 100 lawsuits across at least 23 states. Federal judges issued dozens of restraining orders, criticizing the administration’s actions as “flagrantly illegal” and expressing frustration over the lack of clarity regarding students’ legal status. In many cases, students were unable to attend classes or continue research, sometimes just weeks before graduation.

In response to mounting judicial pressure, the Justice Department announced in federal court that the administration would temporarily restore the legal status and SEVIS records of affected students. This move is intended as an interim measure while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) develops a new policy for handling terminations of student statuses. Until the new policy is finalized, ICE will not terminate SEVIS records solely based on criminal history checks involving misdemeanor charges or dismissed cases.

While the restoration provides immediate relief to thousands of students, uncertainty remains. ICE retains the authority to revoke SEVIS records for other reasons, and the administration has signaled that future terminations could occur under a new, yet-to-be-developed framework. The administration’s initial actions were widely criticized as arbitrary and lacking due process, with some observers suggesting that automated or AI-driven processes may have contributed to the mass terminations.

The episode has caused significant anxiety among international students and U.S. universities, with some students choosing to leave the country rather than risk detention or deportation. The situation has also highlighted broader tensions in U.S. immigration policy, particularly regarding the treatment of foreign students and the use of automated decision-making in immigration enforcement.