In a major relief for thousands of international students, including many from India, the Trump administration has reversed its decision to terminate student visa registrations en masse. A government lawyer confirmed this unexpected shift during a federal court hearing in Washington, D.C., on Friday, April 25th, 2025.
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According to Justice Department statements, over 4,700 students will have their SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records reinstated. This reversal comes after a wave of lawsuits across the U.S., where judges overwhelmingly sided with students who faced sudden termination of their records, many due to minor legal infractions, some of which had already been dismissed.
The mass termination, overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), raised serious fears among international students about possible deportation, prompting widespread legal challenges. Just last week, an Atlanta federal judge ordered the reinstatement of 133 SEVIS records, strengthening the students’ fight.
Moving forward, the Trump administration has agreed to keep affected SEVIS records active or re-activate them until ICE finalises a formal policy for such terminations. Importantly, the reinstated records will not be modified solely based on past criminal history checks that led to the recent cancellations.
However, ICE retains its authority to revoke SEVIS status if a student fails to maintain their visa status or engages in activities that make them deportable under U.S. immigration law.
A Justice Department attorney clarified in court that while SEVIS records will be restored for now, ICE is still developing a comprehensive framework to govern future terminations.
In a separate statement, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin emphasised that the administration has "not reversed course on a single visa revocation," but restored SEVIS access for students whose visas were never officially revoked.
While ICE manages the SEVIS database, the U.S. Department of State, which issues and revokes student visas, has been approached for further clarification on this announcement.
This decision provides much-needed relief to thousands of international students, especially Indian students aspiring to continue their academic journey in the United States without disruption.
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