International Students Win Legal Battles After Sudden Visa Revocations/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Over 1,000 international students have lost legal status in a sudden DHS crackdown. Many are winning temporary relief in court, challenging the government’s legal grounds. Confusion and fear spread across campuses as students grapple with uncertain futures.
Student Visa Revocations Spark Legal Victories — Quick Looks
- Nationwide Crackdown: More than 1,100 students lost status at 174 colleges
- Court Wins: Judges issue orders restoring student visas in multiple states
- Mental Health Toll: Students report anxiety, depression, and fear of detention
- Legal Argument: Attorneys say revocations lack due process or lawful basis
- Federal Justification: Government cites “national interest” and foreign policy concerns
- Case Spotlight: Missouri student Anjan Roy among those reinstated after court order
Visa Crackdown Triggers Legal Wins for International Students Facing Deportation
Deep Looks
ATLANTA (April 23, 2025) — When computer science student Anjan Roy opened an email from the Department of Homeland Security, he couldn’t believe what he was reading: his legal student status had been terminated, and he now faced possible deportation — despite being a full-time graduate student in good standing.
“I was in literal shock,” said Roy, who moved from Bangladesh to study at Missouri State University.
Roy’s case is just one among more than 1,100 international students who have recently been stripped of their legal status, according to an Associated Press review. The wave of terminations has thrown the academic futures and lives of students across the U.S. into disarray, sparking court battles — and many are winning.
Students Fight Back in Federal Courts
Since late March, students across states including Georgia, New Hampshire, Oregon, Montana, and Wisconsin have sought legal relief. In several cases, judges have issued temporary restraining orders, allowing students to remain in the U.S. and resume their studies while litigation proceeds.
In Atlanta, Roy is among 133 plaintiffs in one lawsuit filed by immigration attorney Charles Kuck, who argued that the government lacked proper legal grounds to revoke their student status.
“The pressure on these students is overwhelming,” Kuck said. “Some are even afraid to leave their homes.”
The government, in contrast, argued that the students had alternative options — such as transferring credits or studying in another country — and that no permanent harm had been done.
Still, Kuck and other attorneys suggest the strategy may be an effort to encourage “self-deportation” by overwhelming students with fear and uncertainty.
Grounds for Termination Remain Vague
The State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, recently announced a crackdown on foreign nationals who, it claims, act against U.S. national interests — including those involved in protests against the war in Gaza.
But many affected students say they were never told what they did wrong. Some have minor infractions, like misunderstandings with campus security years ago, while others say they’ve done nothing questionable at all.
“It was a total surprise,” said Roy, who was once questioned in 2021 by campus security but never charged.
His legal status has now been temporarily reinstated, and he’s returning to classes — but the threat of deportation still looms with another hearing scheduled this week.
Emotional and Financial Toll Mounts
- One Indian graduate student said he was experiencing insomnia, difficulty eating and breathing, and had stopped attending classes or fulfilling his teaching duties.
- A Chinese undergraduate student awaiting graduation reported worsening depression and said he hadn’t left his apartment out of fear of arrest.
For students like Roy, who once dreamed of becoming a professor at a U.S. university, the experience has been deeply disillusioning.
“I chose the U.S. over Canada and Australia because of the research opportunities,” he said. “Now everything feels uncertain.”
Legal Status Revoked Without Warning
The abrupt termination of student visas comes without the official procedures typically accompanying major immigration policy shifts — no announcements in the Federal Register, no press briefings, and no clarity on how many are affected.
Emails with subject lines like “It is time for you to leave the United States” arrived with little context, prompting students to panic.
“It’s really confusing,” said Robyn Barnard, refugee advocacy director at Human Rights First. “Some students received notices, others didn’t, and no one knows why.”
What’s Next for Students?
Although Roy’s legal status has been restored for now, the case remains open. He continues to limit visitors at his apartment and is still hesitant to go out. His family in Dhaka has been glued to news reports and urging him to consider relocating.
“My dad said we have relatives in Melbourne,” Roy noted. “Maybe it’s time to think about that.”
The outcome of this legal battle could have national implications for how the U.S. treats international students — many of whom choose America for its world-class education, only to be caught in political crossfire.
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