The recent crackdown by the US government on international students has caused alarm, especially among Indian students. According to a report from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), half of the 327 recent visa revocations documented by the organization involved Indian students. The AILA report, titled ‘The Scope of Immigration Enforcement Actions Against International Students’, revealed that 50% of the affected students were from India, with China accounting for 14%. Other countries mentioned in the data included South Korea, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
The US State Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been scrutinizing the data of foreign students, including their activism, for the past four months. There are claims that artificial intelligence is being used for this screening process, potentially leading to the unjust targeting of students with no criminal background or ties to campus protests. In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio introduced the “Catch and Revoke” program to identify and monitor student visa holders, with a focus on their social media activity for any signs of anti-Semitism or support for Palestinians and Hamas.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is a platform utilized by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to monitor international students and exchange program participants. As per an ICE announcement, the visa status of 4,736 international students, primarily holding F1 visas, was terminated in the SEVIS system. AILA raised concerns about the unprecedented nature of these administrative actions, posing legal challenges that may necessitate legal action.
The repercussions of these visa revocations are substantial, particularly affecting 50% of the 327 cases involving Optional Practical Training (OPT) holders. OPT enables international students on F-1 visas to work in the US for up to 12 months. With their visas revoked, these students are now unable to continue working. The states most impacted by these visa cancellations are Texas, California, New York, Michigan, and Arizona.
It is noteworthy that around 1,000 international students at US educational institutions have had their visas revoked or legal status terminated since late March, according to an Associated Press investigation. The majority of affected students are from India and China, which collectively represent over half of the international student population in American colleges. However, legal experts have noted that the terminations have not been limited to students from a specific region.
The Indian government has taken notice of the situation, with Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirming, “We are aware that several Indian students have received communication from the US government regarding their F-1 visa status. We are monitoring the situation closely, and our Embassy and consulate are in contact with the affected students.”
