The Trump administration has introduced new guidelines that significantly expand the authority of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to revoke the legal status of international students in the United States. This controversial policy shift was revealed in a court document submitted to the Arizona District Court on the 30th of last month, in relation to ongoing lawsuits over student visa revocations.
According to the document, ICE officers now have the power to terminate a student’s legal status in SEVIS (the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) if deemed necessary. It also clarifies that the State Department’s cancellation of a student visa can now automatically trigger the loss of legal status — a substantial change that makes visa revocation grounds for immediate immigration consequences.
NBC News reported that internal guidance on the policy has already been circulated among SEVIS officers, though it remains uncertain whether the guidance is finalized or enforceable yet.
Immigration attorneys and advocates have raised strong concerns about the implications of this expanded authority. Charles Cook, who represents 133 international students in a lawsuit against the policy, warned, “Any student arrested for any reason will be subject to deportation.” Since Trump took office, more than 4,700 international students have had their immigration status revoked — a trend that has prompted numerous legal challenges across the country.
Though the administration recently announced it would restore the immigration status of some students, legal experts caution that the overall environment remains unstable. Ellora Mukherjee, director of Columbia University’s Immigrant Rights Clinic, warned, “If ICE is given broad authority to deprive international students of their immigration status, it will likely take more rapid and extensive deportation actions.” She added that many students are now uncertain about whether they will be able to complete their degrees in the U.S.
Further complicating the issue, around 350 international students — primarily from India — have filed a class action lawsuit, calling the policy illegal and demanding that it be repealed. This lawsuit, reported by the Times of India, adds to growing international criticism of the administration’s stance on student immigration.