A Shock For International Students: U.S. Government Cracks Down
U.S. authority introduces a fresh regulation for revoking international students' legal standing.
In a surprising turn of events, thousands of international students across the U.S. have found themselves in a precarious situation, as their legal statuses are under threat. The government has begun shedding light on this crackdown, outlining the reasons behind their targeted actions.
In the last month, international students have been left rattled, learning that their records have been removed from a student database maintained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Some have gone into hiding out of fear of deportation, while others have decided to abandon their studies and return home.
On Friday, following intense court challenges, the government announced it would reinstate international students' legal status, as it works on developing a framework to guide future terminations. This decision came after federal officials released a new policy document, detailing a range of reasons students' status can be canceled, including the revocation of the visas they used to enter the U.S.
Brad Banias, an immigration attorney, pointed out that this new policy vastly expands ICE’s authority. Previous policy did not count visa revocation as a ground for losing legal status. In the past, if a student had their visa revoked, they could stay in the U.S. to finish their studies. However, a revoked visa under the new policy could lead to deportation, even if the student has done nothing wrong.
Many of the students who have had their visas revoked or lost their legal status claim to have only minor infractions on their records, such as traffic violations. Some are uncertain as to why they were targeted at all.
During a hearing on Tuesday, government officials provided some explanation for these actions. They stated that they ran the names of student visa holders through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), an FBI-run database containing information related to crimes. The database includes the names of suspects, missing persons, and individuals who have been arrested, even if they have never been charged with a crime or had charges dropped.
Approximately 6,400 students were identified in the database search. One of these students was Akshar Patel, an international student studying information systems in Texas. His status was terminated and reinstated this month, and he is seeking a preliminary court ruling to prevent deportation.
With the new policy in place, the future looks uncertain for many international students. Universities have reported chaos and confusion as they scramble to deal with these changes. In some cases, colleges have told students to stop working or studying immediately, and warned them that they could face deportation if they don't comply.
However, government attorneys emphasize that the change in the database does not mean the students have actually lost their legal status, even though some have been labeled "failure to maintain status." Instead, they claim it was intended to be an "investigative red flag."
The new policy has raised concerns about the fairness and proportionality of the actions against the international students. Students fear that minor infractions may lead to the loss of their hard-earned academic opportunities, and the broader academic and economic landscape in the U.S. could be affected by this crackdown.
- This U.S. government crackdown on international students has left thousands in a precarious situation, with their legal statuses under threat.
- The government's recent actions have been met with intense court challenges, and federal officials have announced they will reinstate international students' legal status while developing a framework for future terminations.
- The new policy gives Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expanded authority, and now counts visa revocation as a ground for losing legal status, even if the student has done nothing wrong.
- Many international students claim to have only minor infractions on their records, such as traffic violations, and are uncertain as to why they were targeted.
- During a hearing, government officials explained that they ran the names of student visa holders through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), and approximately 6,400 students were identified.
- In Seattle, abroad, Akshar Patel, an international student studying information systems, had his status terminated and reinstated this month, and is seeking a preliminary court ruling to prevent deportation.
- Universities are reporting chaos and confusion as they scramble to deal with these changes, with some colleges telling students to stop working or studying immediately, and warning them they could face deportation if they don't comply.
