The U.S. government is offering a clearer picture of its sweeping crackdown on international students, a campaign that abruptly upended thousands of lives and is now facing mounting legal backlash.
The revelations surfaced through lawsuits filed by students whose immigration status was suddenly revoked without clear justification, throwing their academic careers into limbo.
Over the past month, foreign students across the country have been blindsided by unexpected status terminations after their records vanished from SEVIS — the student tracking database overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). With little to no explanation, many panicked, some fled the country, and others went underground fearing deportation.
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Following growing legal challenges, federal officials announced Friday that the students’ legal status would be temporarily restored. Then, in a court filing on Monday, the government introduced new policy guidance that outlines how and why student statuses may be revoked, including visa cancellations, a reason not previously used to justify such action, AP reported.
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Immigration attorney Brad Banias, representing Texas-based student Akshar Patel, criticized the new policy as an overreach. Previously, he said, a revoked visa barred reentry but didn’t force a student out of the country.
“This just gave them carte blanche to have the State Department revoke a visa and then deport those students even if they’ve done nothing wrong,” Banias stated.
Students caught in the dragnet often had only minor infractions, traffic tickets, dropped charges or no idea at all why they were targeted.
During Tuesday’s court hearing in Patel’s case, Department of Homeland Security lawyers shed light on the process. Student names were cross-checked with the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC), a vast repository of criminal records, missing persons, and arrests, regardless of outcome.
That search flagged about 6,400 students, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said during the hearing. Patel, whose 2018 reckless driving charge was dismissed, appeared among 734 names forwarded to Homeland Security. Within 24 hours, a senior official responded: “Please terminate all in SEVIS.”
Judge Reyes, appointed by President Biden, said the rapid decision-making pointed to a disturbing lack of due process.
READ ALSO: U.S. colleges report sudden visa revocations targeting some international students
“All of this could have been avoided if someone had taken a beat,” she said, blasting the government’s “utter lack of concern for individuals who have come into this country.”
The chaos reached college campuses too. Schools were caught off guard and warned students to stop attending classes or working, fearing immigration violations.
Despite the confusion, government lawyers insisted that database changes weren’t formal revocations of legal status. Rather, they claimed it was a flag for further investigation.
“Mr. Patel is lawfully present in the U.S.,” said Andre Watson of the Department of Homeland Security. “He is not subject to immediate detention or removal.”
Judge Reyes declined Patel’s request for a preliminary injunction but urged both legal teams to work toward a resolution that would allow him to remain in the country.
READ ALSO: Lawsuits surge after U.S. revokes international student visas without warning
