WASHINGTON, Nigeria – The Trump administration has moved to restore visas for hundreds of foreign students whose legal status was abruptly revoked, causing widespread panic and fear of imminent deportation among the affected individuals.
Government officials confirmed that immigration authorities are working on a new system for reviewing and terminating visas for international students.
The announcement follows more than 100 lawsuits filed by students who were left in legal limbo after their status was suddenly terminated.
According to estimates from Inside Higher Ed, about 1,800 students and 280 universities across the United States were impacted by the policy, which had caused significant disruption, especially among students engaged in political protests or with prior minor criminal charges, such as driving infractions.
Elizabeth Kurlan, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, revealed to a federal court on Friday that immigration officials are now working on a revised process for reviewing and, if necessary, terminating students’ visas.
This move came after widespread concerns from students and universities about the abrupt revocations, which had left many in a state of uncertainty.
“Immigration officials are working to develop a new system for reviewing and terminating student visas,” Kurlan said, adding that officials are also in the process of restoring records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a government database used to track foreign students’ visa status.
The policy, initially implemented under the Trump administration, stated that the status of students could be revoked if their actions were deemed to be against U.S. interests.
This caused widespread fear, particularly among students who had participated in political protests or had minor criminal records.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously stated that the administration would seek to terminate the visas of individuals whose actions the administration believed to be counter to U.S. interests.
While many affected students feared immediate deportation, some chose to leave the U.S. voluntarily, fearing detention or further immigration action.
According to legal experts, the abrupt termination of SEVIS records left these students vulnerable to potential detention and deportation.
Elora Mukherjee, director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School, noted that the restoration of records brought relief to many students.
“What I’m hearing is that this is a reprieve for many students who have had their status reinstated in SEVIS,” she said.
“But this doesn’t mean this ordeal is over for the students who have had their records terminated.”
Attorneys representing the affected students have argued that the sudden revocations of their legal status violated their rights and created undue hardship, preventing many students from continuing their studies.
