- By Supratik Das
- Sat, 26 Apr 2025 10:10 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a major policy turnaround, the Trump administration announced the restoration of student visa enrollments for thousands of foreign students, including many Indians whose accounts were previously canceled from a federal database because of minor violations. This breakthrough comes against increasing legal pressure and escalating fears over the indiscriminate cancellations of visas that had put students all around the world in danger of deportation or interrupted studies.
The revocations were tied to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a federal database shared by universities and the US government for tracking foreign students. Some of those impacted were surprised by abrupt firings related to technicalities, such as misdemeanor charges and dismissed cases. For students already struggling with the challenges of studying abroad, the terminations caused widespread panic. Some students were denied the ability to continue classes or research projects, in some instances just weeks before graduation.
Legal Action Compels Administration to Reverse Terminations
The policy change comes after more than 100 lawsuits were brought in US federal courts, with over 50 judges issuing restraining orders against the expulsions. Judges had complained about the lack of transparency and clarity, with some questioning whether students were legally obliged to depart at all. In a federal court on Friday, a Justice Department lawyer read a written declaration making the reversal official. Under the declaration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is currently drafting a new policy framework for terminating SEVIS records.
The announcement explained that no SEVIS records will be terminated solely based on criminal history checks for misdemeanor charges or dismissed cases, at least until the new policy is settled. “SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain active or shall be reactivated,” the statement said. “ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination.” Despite this, ICE stressed that it still had the power to terminate records for other infractions, such as failure to maintain nonimmigrant status or engaging in serious criminal activity.
Indian Students Hit Hardest
Indian students, part of one of the largest pools of international students in the US, were particularly impacted by the previous cancellations. Already struggling with visa filings and global education as a result of geopolitics and policy changes, this reversal is an essential lifeline for Indian families and educational institutions.
Although SEVIS terminations have been overturned, visa cancellations by the US State Department remain uncertain. A federal official once characterized the cancellations as a "quality control" review. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had cancelled several student visas, citing concerns over pro-Palestinian activism. It remains to be seen if those visa decisions will be overturned as well. The order to revive student visa records is welcome relief for thousands of students, but short-term certainty on US visa policy is still a priority. For the moment, international students, particularly from India, are free to resume their studies in the US without risk of sudden interruption.