BOSTON: The Trump administration announced on Friday that it would reinstate the student visa registrations of potentially thousands of international students in the U.S. whose legal status had recently been revoked.
This decision came during a court session in Boston, where a federal judge was hearing a case filed by a group of international students challenging the administration’s decision.
The legal status of these students had been terminated due to their information being removed from a database maintained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This database, known as the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), tracks approximately 1.1 million foreign student visa holders, and the removals put the affected students at risk of deportation.
Since Donald Trump took office on January 20, over 4,700 students have had their records eliminated from the SEVIS database, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association. The database serves to ensure compliance with visa requirements and contains details such as students’ addresses, academic progress, and other pertinent information. To remain listed, student visa holders are required to adhere to specific regulations, including restrictions on employment and prohibitions against illegal activities.
Just prior to the hearing on the case involving Boston University student Carrie Zheng, U.S. District Judge F. Denis Saylor informed the court that he had received correspondence from a government attorney indicating a shift in ICE’s stance.
The email stated that ICE is currently "developing a policy to guide SEVIS record terminations." Until this new policy is finalized, the SEVIS records for Zheng and other similarly affected students will either remain active or be reinstated.
