In a shocking move, US authorities can now terminate international student status without warning and for almost any reason.
A new internal policy from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) gives the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) sweeping powers to terminate all F-1, J, and M visa records. Even if the US State Department just thinks something’s wrong and revokes a student’s visa SEVP can now instantly follow without hearing, no due process.
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SEVP is a US government program that manages the records of international students, scholars and exchange visitors studying in the US with F, M, and J visas. The records are tracked and monitored by an online system called SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System)
ICE had terminated SEVIS records of nearly 5,000 international students since January over minor infractions such as traffic tickets. It was only after they received a pushback from immigration lawyers and courts that they took a step back and started restoring their legal status.
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However, it seems the authorities were biding time till they came up with more robust plans like this new policy. Immigration attorneys warn that this rule has “no legal backing” and lets ICE do “whatever it wants.”
Under this policy, even a visa revocation tied to a traffic ticket or attending a protest could push a student out of status. Critics say this is clearly overreach and opens the door to abuse.
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More updates are emerging every day as the legal tussle between the immigration lawyers and authorities continues.
