Trump administration expands deportation powers over International students
The federal government in the United States has broadened the conditions under which
international students
can lose their legal status, triggering concern among students and educational institutions. Thousands of foreign students have come under scrutiny in recent weeks following a Trump-era immigration enforcement initiative, which now appears to be reinforced by expanded legal justifications for deportation. According to a report by Associated Press, the change permits the revocation of a visa- previously not the grounds for deportation, to serve as a valid reason to strip a student of legal residency in the US. Immigration attorneys argue that the revised policy effectively justifies past government actions that cancelled student permissions earlier this spring, often without explanation or due process.
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Policy change enables swift removals
Brad Banias, an immigration attorney representing one affected student, told the Associated Press, '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.' Previously, international students with revoked visas were generally allowed to complete their studies in the US., although they could not re-enter the country once they left. The new guidelines eliminate that distinction, enabling immediate deportation after visa revocation.
ICE
database removals trigger panic
In recent weeks, students discovered that their records had been deleted from the ICE-managed Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), prompting some to flee or hide. The Associated Press reported that in response to mounting legal pressure, the government announced it would temporarily restore students' legal status while formal rules were under development. The updated policy was later presented in a court filing. According to the statement by Charles Kuck to AP, an Atlanta-based immigration attorney representing 133 affected students, 'Basically, they're trying to cover what they already did badly by making the bad thing that they did now legal for them to do.'
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NCIC
checks lead to mass status terminations
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International students across the US are seeing their visas revoked
The Department of Homeland Security used the FBI's National Crime Information Centre (NCIC) database to screen student visa holders. The database includes records of arrests and even dropped charges. According to US District Judge Ana Reyes, around 6,400 students were flagged through this search.
One student, Akshar Patel, studying in Texas, had his visa revoked due to a 2018 reckless driving charge that was later dismissed. Patel's name appeared on a list of 734 students forwarded to Homeland Security, where an official responded within 24 hours: 'Please terminate all in SEVIS,' the Associated Press reported.
Judge Reyes criticized the lack of individual record review, saying, 'All of this could have been avoided if someone had taken a beat.' She further noted that the government had shown 'an utter lack of concern for individuals who have come into this country.'
State Department's role and visa cancellations
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US: New ICE memo puts reinstated international students in danger zone again
In parallel, the State Department cancelled visas for students. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited involvement in pro-Palestinian protests as one of the reasons, stating that such actions harmed US foreign policy interests. However, he also admitted that some cancellations were unrelated to protests, saying, 'just having to do with potential criminal activity.'
Rubio added, 'If we knew this information about them before we gave them a visa, would we have allowed them in? If the answer is no, then we revoke the visa.' He emphasized, 'Your visa is expired, your visa is revoked, you have to leave. There is no right to a student visa.'
Campus disruption and legal uncertainty
The visa revocations created confusion across campuses. In some cases, students were told to immediately stop attending classes or working. Officials later clarified that being flagged in the database was meant to be an 'investigative red flag,' not an automatic termination of legal status. Judge Reyes declined to grant a preliminary injunction but urged both parties to reach a settlement that would allow Patel to continue staying in the US. The broader impact of the policy change remains uncertain, with further legal challenges likely in the weeks ahead.
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