Trump backtracks on student visas too: thousands of foreign students will be reinstated in sudden policy reversal

Thousands of international students whose SEVIS records were abruptly terminated will have their legal status restored, following a sweeping reversal announced in federal court Friday.

What is SEVIS?

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), used to track foreign students in the U.S., had flagged students for minor offenses, including speeding tickets, triggering mass terminations without clear explanation.

The move sparked over 100 lawsuits across 21 states. Judges in at least 50 of these cases issued temporary restraining orders (TROs), blocking deportations and criticizing the government’s process as unlawful.

Faced with mounting defeats, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), via Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Carilli, confirmed that all affected students would see their SEVIS status reactivated. ICE is now developing a policy to govern future terminations but maintains the right to revoke status for students who break laws or lose eligibility.

What happens next?

Despite this rollback, DHS officials claim no visas have been reinstated, only the SEVIS status. This means some students may still face legal uncertainty.

According to Miriam Feldblum of the Presidents’ Alliance, restoring SEVIS records doesn’t erase the harm or the termination notations in students’ files, which could affect future visa applications. Her group plans to continue litigation to prevent similar actions.

For now, ICE is barred from terminating SEVIS records based solely on criminal history checks, often flagging dismissed cases or misdemeanors. Affected students will retain active status until ICE formalizes its new policy.

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