More than 130 international students have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging their visas were unlawfully cancelled, putting their stay in the United States at risk.
According to the lawsuit, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency abruptly and unlawfully removed the students’ status from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). As a result, the students now face the threat of arrest, detention, and deportation.
The legal action was initially brought by 11 students in the state of Georgia, and over time, an additional 116 students joined the case.
Many students studying in the U.S. discovered that their visas had been revoked without any prior notice or explanation.
A Chinese student at the Georgia Institute of Technology shared that he was informed by the university about the cancellation of his visa, though no reason was provided. He suspects it may be related to a previously resolved traffic violation, as he has no criminal record.
Similarly, an Indian student from the New York Institute of Technology revealed that his visa was also cancelled. He had once faced a shoplifting charge, which was later dropped, but believes it may have contributed to the cancellation despite the case being dismissed.
The students claim the Trump administration has been intimidating institutions by threatening to cut off funding and using various tactics, with visa cancellations being one of the consequences.