Following a slew of lawsuits, the federal government has moved to restore thousands of international students’ legal ability to study in the United States (U.S.).The Trump administration has characterized this shift in policy as a “temporary reprieve,” and are currently working on a new system to terminate the legal status of international students.
This move comes after countless lawsuits were filed by international students whose legal status were threatened when their information was removed from the database that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses to monitor international students. Known as the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), this database tracks whether these students are complying with the requirements to maintain their legal status.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), once a student’s SEVIS records are “terminated” from the database, the student immediately loses their legal status and risks deportation or future visa denials unless they immediately leave the U.S. or regain legal status.
After receiving notification that their SEVIS status was terminated, many students were caused undo financial and emotional harm, losing out on job opportunities and even fleeing the country for fear of deportation. Despite the countless legal challenges, immigration officials have insisted that they can still terminate students from the SEVIS.
The sudden reversal in policy was implemented following the ruling of an Oakland, California court. Eight international students argued that the federal government had terminated their rights without due process. Attorneys requested that a nationwide injunction be issued covering the official records of all students whose legal status was terminated since March 1.
An Insider Education tally reports that over 1,800 international students have had their student visas revoked; these figures are current as of Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025. NBC News explained that this focus on international students is part of President Donald Trump’s larger crackdown on immigration.
The cause behind a majority of these deportations has yet to be explained, however the Trump administration has targeted these students under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. This war time law “allows the president to detain or deport the natives and citizens of an ‘enemy’ nation with little if any due process.”
Attorneys and advocates have cited international students’ participation in pro-Palestine protests, politically motivated social media posts and crimes like traffic violations as small as speeding tickets as the cause behind these visa revocations.
Students being targeted by these SEVIS terminations are primarily studying in the U.S. under the F-1 and J-1 visas. According to NBC news, “F-1 visa allows noncitizens to enter the United States as full-time students at accredited education institutions.” In order to qualify for an F-1 visa students must receive the approval of ICE, prove proficiency in English or enrollment in courses that lead to English proficiency and have sufficient funds to support themselves throughout the duration of their education.
J-1 visas are available to “students, teachers, researchers and other specialists, [allowing] people to participate in approved programs for studying, conducting research, receiving training or demonstrating special skills.” Within 30-days of the completion of their program, recipients of the J-1 visa are required to return to their home countries.
Federal government officials were very clear that the move to reinstate the visas was temporary. The New York Times reports that immigration officials are working on a new system to review and terminate “the records of international students and academics studying in the United States.”
Until this new system is complete, student records and legal status should be temporarily restored to the SEVIS database. Students have begun receiving official notices that their SEVIS status has been unexpectedly reinstated, causing temporary relief but not a full resolution.
Some students have said that these changes to their status have caused irreparable harm. One California student who chose to be anonymous for fear of retaliation explained to The Guardian that she suspected her SEVIS records were terminated because of a driving ticket she received six years ago. The next day, since her F-1 work authorization was no longer valid, her employer fired her after learning that she could no longer legally work in the U.S.
John Nichols Sindis, an attorney in the Oakland case, explained that unresolved gaps in SEVIS restoration timelines could still put students at risk for deportation and future visa harm. For those who left the country believing their legal status was revoked, lasting harm has already been done.
Despite the restoration of the SEVIS records, ICE officials maintain the rights to terminate a student’s SEVIS records for various other reasons, such as failing to maintain lawful status or engaging in what is considered removable conduct.
According to the BBC, Students who fail to maintain their nonimmigrant status after the record is reactivated, or engage in unlawful activity are at risk of removal from the SEVIS under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. Attorneys for these students argue that the threat of deportation is a violation of these students rights and has caused undo impacts on their studies.
Director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School Elora Mukherjee explained to the BBC that the termination of these students’ SEVIS records has left them vulnerable to immigration action and possible deportation and detention.
Jath Shao, a Cleveland-based immigration attorney representing several international students, told NBC news that it is the universities responsibility to step up and support their international students. “You accepted these kids to come … The school should try to help the kids as much as they can,” explained Shao.
