ICE Ordered to Reinstate Legal Status of Over 100 Students

A federal judge has ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to restore the legal status of 133 students stripped of their F-1 visas and left facing deportation.

Judge Victoria M. Calvert of Georgia's Northern District issued a temporary restraining order on Friday against the Trump Administration to stop it from taking the visas away from the students. The order will last 14 days.

The Trump administration has until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, to restore the visas.

"The Constitution protects everyone on American soil, so the Trump administration cannot ignore due process to unjustifiably threaten students with the loss of immigration status, and arrest and deportation," said a statement from Akiva Freidlin, senior staff Attorney at the ACLU-Georgia, which brought the lawsuit.

"We believe this ruling shows the students are likely to prevail on their claims and we are pleased the court ordered the government to halt its unlawful actions while the lawsuit continues."

Why It Matters

Immigration remains a central focus of Trump's policy platform. The White House has started revoking visas for international students accused of participating in pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses. The move follows Executive Order 14188, signed in early 2025, which targets antisemitism. Critics, however, argue that the order is being used to suppress free speech, pointing to visa cancellations linked to students involved in protests or the distribution of flyers.

What To Know

The lawsuit argued that by terminating the records, ICE is effectively stripping students of their legal status and rendering them subject to deportation.

"DHS's act of unlawfully terminating SEVIS records appears to be designed to coerce students, including each Plaintiff, into abandoning their studies and 'self-deporting' despite not violating their status," the lawsuit reads.

Among the students in the lawsuit are individuals approaching graduation or participating in authorized work programs. While many of the plaintiffs were previously cited for minor infractions—such as traffic violations or misdemeanors—most charges were later dismissed. Some, including a student identified as "Jane Doe #12," have no record of any citations or arrests. Government attorneys have pushed back against the case, arguing that providing relief to the students would interfere with the executive branch's authority over immigration policy.

More than 1,500 student visas have been revoked as part of Trump's crackdown on immigrants engaged in political activism, according to data reported by Inside Higher Ed.

Several students affected by the visa revocations have been well-known political activists, such as Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi of Columbia University, who participated in pro-Palestinian protests and an encampment during the spring of 2024.

International students must meet several requirements to obtain an F-1 visa, including school admission, a U.S. embassy interview, and proof of financial support.

While in the U.S., they must stay in good academic standing and are limited in off-campus work. Visas are issued by the State Department, but once in the country, student status is managed by the Department of Homeland Security. Recently, college officials discovered that some students' legal status had been terminated in a federal database—often without prior notice, unlike in the past when schools initiated updates.

What People Are Saying

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: "This hasn't gotten enough attention! Over 1,500 students have had their visas revoked on mostly nonsense reasons, with ICE often telling them to leave immediately or be arrested. But then when sued, ICE suddenly started saying they don't have to leave, actually. It IS Kafkaesque!"

Samantha Hamilton, impact litigation staff attorney at Advancing Justice - Atlanta, said: "We are so glad that the court recognized the irreparable harms that these students are facing as a result of the Government's actions and that the court recognized the urgency with which it had to act in order to prevent grave injustices from occurring. Immigrants' rights continue to be under attack every day in this country. It's nice to see some light in the midst of all the injustice. We applaud the students for standing up for their rights and the court for arriving at the correct result at this early juncture, but the fight will continue until the court grants more permanent relief."

Aaron Butler, managing attorney at CAIR-Georgia, said in a statement: "We welcome the Temporary Restraining Order, which is the first step towards protecting international students. We hope the courts will ensure ICE follows the established due process rules and procedures, that are in place, to prevent illegal and arbitrary actions against individuals."

What Happens Next

The order gives the Trump administration until 5 p.m. on April 22 to restore the visas.