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NBC News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Visa is reinstated for BYU student from Japan who had a fishing citation and speeding tickets
A Brigham Young University student from Japan discovered that his visa was reinstated last week after it had been abruptly revoked a few weeks ago, his attorney told NBC News. Suguru Onda, a doctoral student and father of five, had received a notice from government officials that his legal status was terminated because he was 'identified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked.' Adam Crayk, his attorney, told the NBC News affiliate KSL -TV in Salt Lake City that Onda has no record aside from a few speeding tickets and a fishing-related citation, and that he believes AI software likely mistakenly terminated the visa. But he's been given little explanation for the reversal. 'I'm just grateful to be here,' Onda told KSL. The State Department declined NBC News' request for comment. The Department of Homeland Security did not elaborate on Onda's case 'due to privacy concerns and visa confidentiality.' 'DHS, through ICE HSI, conducts regular reviews of records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to ensure visa holders remain in compliance with program requirements,' a senior DHS official said. The attorney told KSL that he suspects officials are not thoroughly checking the names that are being pulled by the AI software. DHS has created a task force that uses data analytic tools to scour the social media histories of international students, as well as criminal charges or records, three sources familiar with the operation told NBC News this month. Crayk said that BYU, in Provo, Utah, received an email about the reinstatement just minutes after Onda, a doctoral student who is a year away from finishing his degree in computer science, filed a lawsuit with several other international students in Utah against the Department of Homeland Security for terminating their statuses. They argue in the lawsuit that their due process and other Fifth Amendment rights were violated. The reinstatement, however, came as a surprise, Crayk said, especially since no immigration officials had reached out. 'He is reinstated as if it was never revoked,' Crayk told KSL. Onda, who's been in the U.S. for roughly six years, had been given 15 days to return to Japan or face deportation. With little social media presence and no history of political activism, Onda was likely flagged, Crayk told the Deseret News, because of the 2019 catch-and-release fishing violation from a church outing. It was eventually dismissed. 'He didn't catch a fish — but because he was the organizer or the face of the activity, [Onda] was cited for harvesting more than their license permitted,' Crayk told the News.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘It's unfair': International PhD student at BYU speaks after his student visa was revoked
SALT LAKE CITY () — Suguru Onda, a PhD student at , is just one year shy of completing his program. However, after his student visa was revoked, he is unsure of what comes next for him and his family. 'I think it's unfair,' Onda told 'At least they should notify us or reach out to us, or give us some explanation, but there's nothing.' On April 8, Onda said he got an email from BYU's international student office notifying him that his status had changed, and he immediately went to speak with them in person: 'The university didn't get anything, I didn't receive anything, so we just found out it is terminated.' RELATED: Students react to nearly 50 international students' visas being revoked, records being removed across Utah According to Adam Crayk, Onda's attorney, the university was told that Onda's criminal background was part of the reason for the change in his status. Crayk looked into Onda's record and found two speeding tickets and a citation for fishing that was later dismissed in court. 'This is no longer about politics,' Crayk said. 'This is an issue about right or wrong.' Onda was told he and his family had two options: Go back to Japan within a couple of weeks, ask BYU to issue a new I-20 form, and reapply for an F-1 visa; or wait five to 12 months for his visa to be reinstated. However, Crayk said asking BYU to reissue Onda's I-20 form would bring in a 'monitoring unit for student visas.' And, if they did that, Crayk said 'we are admitting we did something wrong.' Crayk said new technology may have impacted the process of monitoring and revoking international students' visas. 'Whether it's tech, bot, algorithm, AI, they have a technology… there's close to a million student visas, and so — for one person to monitor that it's fairly difficult,' Crayk said. 'But when you make a decision to revoke, you ought to at least have somebody check that.' If Onda chooses to wait several months for his visa to be reinstated, he said he would not be able to work, but he may be able to stay in Utah. Onda and his family — including his wife and five children — hadn't been back to Japan in two years, and they had a trip planned for this summer. 'If we have to leave in 15 days, then yeah, that plan is not going to work,' Onda said. 'I just talked to my wife, and I don't know what to do.' Crayk said another potential option would be looking at filing a temporary restraining order in federal court. In that situation, a judge would review whether or not Onda had violated any of the terms of his student visa, and the judge could potentially reinstate Onda's status. 'I know I'm not alone, and lots of international students was affected by this visa termination,' Onda said. 'I really hope things get better.' PREVIOUSLY: International students at several Utah universities had their visas revoked — Here's what we know Onda said his main concern is his children and their education. He wants to continue to live in the U.S., finish his program, and work on a temporary . Since hearing the news, Onda said he and his family began packing for whatever comes next. 'Hopefully… things are sorted out soon. That's what we want,' Onda said. During any school year, an international student's visa may be revoked if they get caught breaking the law or disobeying certain policies. Recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said international students may be targeted for their suspected involvement in pro-Palestinian protests across college campuses or if they are connected to 'potential criminal activity,' the . While international students' (SEVIS) records being terminated or their visas being revoked is not new, the University of Utah has recently said . 'What is different currently is that records are being terminated in SEVIS sometimes without notice to the university and/or the student,' U of U said in a statement after several students' records were terminated. According to U of U, some of the reasons students were given for their visas being revoked included a criminal record check or 'failure to maintain nonimmigrant status.' In the United States, international students can obtain an or a , and both have different restrictions and requirements. Another option is an for vocational students. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigrant Services (USCIS), students on an F-1 or M-1 visa must be enrolled full-time in an 'academic' educational, language-training, or vocational program at an approved institution. Students on an F-1 or M-1 visa must be proficient in English — or be in courses that lead them to English proficiency — in addition to having enough money to support themselves during their studies. There are certain work restrictions for students on these visas as well. A J-1 visa classifies someone as an 'exchange visitor,' according to USCIS. This classification is authorized for people who are participating in approved programs designed for teaching, researching, training, demonstrating special skills, and more. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says that Form I-20 is 'critically important to nonimmigrant students.' This form is issued to nonimmigrant students after they are accepted into their educational program. The form can only be issued to the student by the institution. Some Utah schools are reminding their international students and scholars to remain in good standing to preserve their status. U of U has advised its students to keep their immigration documents 'valid and readily accessible.' The University of Utah also directed international students toward some national organizations that can offer information and guidance, including the , , , and the . The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
