The Trump administration is backing down in a multi-state legal fight over sweeping actions taken by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month that jeopardized and potentially terminated the immigration status of thousands of international students studying in the United States.
Dozens of students at universities and colleges in Utah were affected over the last several weeks by having their visas revoked, with eight students suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over the moves last week.
The University of Utah said 12 of its 22 students have had their visas reinstated as of Friday. Salt Lake Community College said of its three students affected, one has already opted to leave the country and the other two had previously filed for visa reinstatement.
Weber State University said three of its five students who were affected have had their records restored.
In dozens of cases across the country, international students have sued the administration over ICE’s move to cancel immigration records of those students that are used by schools to track whether the students are meeting the requirements of their educational visas. The move appeared to have the effect of terminating the students’ immigration status. In court hearings, however, Justice Department attorneys had refused to answer judges’ questions about whether the administration actions were having that effect.
On Friday morning, the Trump administration informed courts and lawyers for the students that it was changing its posture. It did so as judges were getting ready to put ICE officials on the stand to question them about the administration’s actions.
International students in Utah share fears over visa revocations:
According to the statement from the Justice Department, the student records in question – known as SEVIS records – were being reinstated for the students who have sued the administration over the terminations. The statement said that “ICE is developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations.”
The cases had revealed that ICE was justifying the records terminations for students who had an alleged “criminal history,” but included students who were arrested and never charged, or who had their charges dismissed.
Families, students in country legally surprised with sudden orders to leave U.S.:
The resolution of these disputes will not affect the Department of State’s cancellation of student visas.
This story has been updated with additional details.
