The U.S. federal government is reversing the recent termination of legal status for international students, following numerous court challenges. This announcement was made by a government lawyer on Friday, highlighting the ongoing legal issues faced by these students across the country.
Judges in various jurisdictions had previously issued temporary orders restoring the international students' records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a database managed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These terminations occurred unexpectedly and often without prior notification to the students or their educational institutions, causing significant distress and confusion among the affected individuals.
During a federal court session in Oakland, a government attorney read a statement indicating that ICE would begin manually reinstating the student status of individuals whose records had been terminated in recent weeks. A similar statement was communicated by a government lawyer in a separate federal case in Washington, as noted by Brian Green, an attorney representing plaintiffs in that case. Green provided the Associated Press with documentation outlining the content of the government’s statements.
The statement specified, “ICE is developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations. Until such a policy is issued, the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain Active or shall be re-activated if not currently active, and ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination.” This assurance indicates that the government will uphold the statuses of affected students regardless of recent record checks that had precipitated the terminations.
Importantly, the government lawyer clarified that the reinstatement measures would not be limited to students who had pursued legal action, but would rather encompass all individuals who found themselves in similar predicaments due to the abrupt terminations.
SEVIS, the database in question, is crucial for monitoring international students' compliance with their visa requirements. On the other hand, NCIC refers to the National Crime Information Center, which is operated by the FBI. Many students whose records were terminated were informed that their status was revoked due to findings from criminal background checks or issues regarding their visas.
The abrupt and unannounced nature of these terminations left both international students and their respective schools taken aback. In numerous instances, school officials discovered the terminations during routine checks of the SEVIS database or upon tailoring their inquiries following reports of similar incidents affecting other students.
As the situation unfolds, the response from the federal government seeks to address the anxiety and uncertainty experienced by international students nationwide. By reinstating the records and committing to a clearer policy framework, the government appears to be taking steps to safeguard the rights and statuses of these individuals amidst ongoing legal scrutiny and public concern.
