US Halts Student Visa Cancellations
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Synopsis
The US has paused the cancellation of international student visas, with more than 1,500 already revoked. This decision comes amid lawsuits from affected students and concerns about national security and foreign policy.
Key Takeaways
- US halts student visa cancellations.
- ICE developing a new review system.
- Over 1,500 visas revoked, mainly affecting Indian students.
- Controversy over protests against Israel's Gaza invasion.
- Legal actions initiated by affected students.
Washington, April 26 (NationPress) The United States has unexpectedly suspended the cancellation of student visas allocated to international students, as per reports.
Assistant US Attorney Joseph F. Carilli Jr. informed a court in Washington DC on Friday that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is in the process of creating a new framework for reviewing and revoking visas. Until this system is operational, SEVIS status for plaintiffs nationwide will either remain Active or be reactivated if currently inactive, and ICE will not alter records solely based on the NCIC findings that led to the recent terminations of SEVIS records, according to a leading US media outlet.
Reports indicate that over 1,500 student visas have been revoked, and it remains unclear what will happen to those students who departed the country following the visa cancellations.
The cancellations were primarily directed at students believed to have engaged in protests at university campuses against Israel's invasion of Gaza in response to the October 7 Hamas attack in 2023. Other cancellations were due to various legal infractions.
The administration of Donald Trump also focused on universities that it perceived as insufficiently countering the protests and safeguarding Jewish students.
Many of the affected students hailed from India, with a US lawyers' association reporting that 50 percent of over 300 reviewed cancellations were for Indian students. No official statistics on the cancellations have been publicly disclosed.
This recent announcement comes amidst a series of lawsuits initiated by and on behalf of students whose visas were terminated.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, "It is not in the national interest of the United States — it’s not in our foreign policy interest, it’s not in our national security interest — to invite individuals onto our university campuses who will not only pursue studies in fields like physics or engineering but who may also incite movements supporting foreign terrorist organizations committed to harming the United States and innocent civilians globally, not just in Israel."
