Washington:
In light of a significant shift in immigration policies, the Trump administration is intensifying measures that affect international students, including those from India. The new regulations enable swift actions that can lead to the expulsion of students from the country, impacting their legal status to reside and study in the United States. Legal experts have indicated that this policy facilitates the government’s ability to justify actions that can revoke the study permits of foreign students.
According to an Associated Press report, if a student’s visa is revoked for any reason, they will forfeit their rights to continue their education or employment in the US. Previously, regulations allowed students to remain in the country to complete their education even if their visa was canceled. Leaving the US under these circumstances would prevent them from returning.
Recent developments surfaced during court proceedings involving students whose statuses were abruptly revoked in recent weeks. In several cases, judges observed that the government acted without following proper protocols. The administration subsequently informed the court of its intention to issue new guidelines that would facilitate the cancellation of students’ legal statuses. Immigration and Customs Enforcement documents submitted to the court indicated that valid grounds for visa cancellation now include the recovery of VJS students who entered the US.
An immigration attorney, Brad Baniyas, representing affected students, pointed out that the new guidelines grant the state department broad authority to cancel visas, even for students who have not committed any wrongdoing. Baniyas noted that these guidelines extend the powers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement beyond prior policies, which did not consider visa cancellations as grounds for denying students their right to remain in the country.
Charles Cook, an immigration lawyer based in Atlanta, stated that under the new directives, the Trump administration can revoke students’ statuses if their names appear in criminal or fingerprint databases, a practice that was previously prohibited.
According to the American Immigration Counsel Association, since January 20, 2025, ICE has terminated the records of 4,736 international students in the SEVIS system, with a significant number being Indians. Students from China, Nepal, South Korea, and Bangladesh have also faced similar actions.
SEVIS serves as an online platform that allows schools to furnish the government with essential information about international students. When a student’s SEVIS record is terminated, they lose their legal status to study or work under the Optional Practical Training program in the US.
Many students targeted by the Trump administration had prior interactions with law enforcement, often for minor infractions such as traffic violations or university policy breaches. In some instances, allegations were dismissed, leaving no legal records.
During court proceedings, officers from the Department of Homeland Security stated that they check the names of student visa holders against the National Crime Information Center database, which includes records related to suspects, missing persons, and individuals arrested, irrespective of whether charges were ever brought against them.
Government representatives acknowledged in court that they had not adhered to the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ and had engaged in extensive practices without thorough individual evaluations. US District Judge Ana Reyes commented during a recent hearing that approximately 6,400 students were identified through database searches.
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