US government expands grounds for deporting international students: Thousands of visa holders under new scrutiny

Time of India

01-05-2025

Thousands of international students face deportation as US tightens visa revocation rules. (AP Photo)
The US government has expanded the reasons under which international students can lose their legal status in the country, raising concerns about the potential for rapid deportations. The policy change, which has already affected thousands of students, follows a crackdown on foreign nationals under the Trump administration. Immigration experts and attorneys have raised alarms, arguing that the new guidelines could be used to justify actions taken earlier this spring, which led to abrupt visa revocations for numerous students.
As reported by the Associated Press, this decision has left many international students anxious about their future, fearing they could be removed from the US without proper explanation. In particular, a recent federal court filing revealed that the grounds for canceling a student's legal status now include the revocation of visas used to enter the country, a move that expands the authority of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) beyond its previous limits.
New grounds for deportation
The new policy allows for visa revocation to be treated as grounds for deportation. Previously, when a student's visa was revoked, they could stay in the US to finish their studies but would be unable to reenter the country if they left. Now, as quoted by the Associated Press, if the State Department revokes a student's visa, they can be deported, regardless of whether they have committed any wrongdoing. Immigration attorney Brad Banias, representing one affected student, noted that this expansion gives ICE a 'carte blanche' to deport students even in the absence of serious infractions.
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The policy shift has also led to significant confusion among students and universities across the US. Recently, international students learned that their records were removed from an ICE database, which led to fear and uncertainty on campuses nationwide. Some students, including those with minor infractions such as traffic violations, were caught in the crossfire, as ICE had conducted a database search that flagged students for reasons unrelated to their academic performance or immigration status.
Thousands of students affected
In the wake of the changes, thousands of international students have been identified in a national database search conducted by ICE. The search, which involved cross-referencing student visa holders with criminal and fingerprint databases, flagged approximately 6,400 students. According to the Associated Press, many of these students had minor legal issues, such as traffic offenses, or were flagged in the system despite not being charged with any crimes.
Among the affected individuals was Akshar Patel, a Texas-based international student who had his visa revoked after a reckless driving charge in 2018, which was later dropped. His case highlights the broad implications of the new policy, as his status was initially revoked based on the inclusion of his name in a law enforcement database, despite the charge being dismissed. The Associated Press reported that after Patel's legal team intervened, a federal court ruled to reinstate his status, but this has not alleviated the broader concern about the process's fairness.
Controversy and legal challenges
The policy changes have sparked a wave of legal challenges from students and advocacy groups. In one case, attorney Charles Kuck, who filed a lawsuit on behalf of 133 students whose legal status was revoked, argued that the new guidelines were designed to justify actions already taken by the government. As quoted by the Associated Press, Kuck referred to the changes as an attempt to "cover what they already did bad" by making previously questionable actions legally justifiable.
Legal experts have also criticized the speed at which the database search and visa revocations occurred, with one judge noting that the rapid processing of student information suggested that individual records were not reviewed carefully. US District Judge Ana Reyes commented that the process showed "an utter lack of concern for individuals who have come into this country," as reported by the Associated Press.
Impact on US higher education
The new immigration policy has created a chaotic atmosphere on US college campuses, where officials scrambled to inform students that their legal status may be in jeopardy. In some cases, students were told to stop attending classes immediately. As quoted by the Associated Press, the government clarified that the change in the student database was an "investigative red flag" and did not automatically mean students had lost their legal status. However, the damage to students' sense of security was already done.
The situation has raised serious concerns about the potential long-term effects on US higher education, which relies heavily on international students. As the policy continues to evolve, more legal challenges are expected, and students' futures remain uncertain.
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