The Trump administration is revoking students’ immigration status without notifying them or their schools, according to Zeteo. Citing documents and interviews with university officials, Zeteo reported that “Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) appears to be manually revoking students’ immigration status — an authority typically left to university staff.” Sometimes, ICE is not even informing the university or student that the status has been revoked, meaning students could be detained by immigration without any warning.
Students’ immigration status is tracked in a database called Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). In addition to having an immigration status, students also have student visas. Visas allow students to enter the U.
S., while their status allows them to remain here as long as they are enrolled in courses, maintain the proper documentation, and abide by work restrictions. Just because a student’s visa is revoked does not necessarily mean they would lose their status.
As an anonymous source told Zeteo: “Someone at ICE pushed a button, and now [students] are ‘illegal’ through a process that absolutely should not be happening.” ICE has arrested several university students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests, even though their free speech rights are protected by the First Amendment . ICE detained Palestinian activist and legal resident Mahmoud Khalil earlier this month.
Khalil has been held in a Louisiana detentio.
