On Friday, the Trump administration unexpectedly reversed its decision to cancel over 1,500 student visas held by international students. This announcement marked a significant change from Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a court session in Washington.
Joseph F. Carilli, a lawyer for the Justice Department, mentioned that immigration officials are working on a new process to evaluate and potentially terminate student visas. Until this new process is finalized, no further changes or cancellations will be made by the agencies.
This decision comes in the wake of numerous lawsuits from students who claimed they were told their rights to study in the U.S. were revoked, often with little explanation. Some students faced visa cancellations due to minor traffic violations, while in other instances, there seemed to be no clear reason for the cancellations.
It’s uncertain how many visa holders left the U.S.; typically, students have a few weeks to depart. However, the Trump administration’s actions had caused anxiety among students who felt threatened by possible detention and deportation without much clarification. A few students, including one from Cornell, chose to leave the country after halting their legal battles.
In March, the Trump administration sought to cancel visas and initiate deportation for students involved in protests against Israel during last year’s protests related to the Gaza conflict. Federal judges intervened, preventing some of these visa cancellations and efforts to expel those students from the U.S.
Recently, however, hundreds of students, particularly from India and China, were informed that their visas had been canceled, sparking widespread anxiety among students and scholars whose educational pursuits were abruptly disrupted.
A representative from Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately provide a comment when asked.
During the Friday hearing, Mr. Carilli stated that the government is willing to extend this policy change to existing lawsuits, potentially offering relief to students who have filed for their visas to be restored so they can complete their studies in the spring.
Other lawsuits, including a possible class action in New England, have been initiated to prevent the administration from implementing further visa cancellations.
