ACLU Sues Trump Administration Over Termination of Student Visas

ACLU of Michigan Challenges Government’s Visa Revocations in Court

In a significant legal move, the ACLU of Michigan has initiated a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration. The lawsuit represents four international students who recently experienced the termination of their student visa status, an action taken by the federal government.

As reported by the Associated Press, university officials nationwide have been discovering these visa status terminations via a database maintained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Emails from university officials informed the students about the revocation of their F-1 student status, citing visa issues and criminal record checks as reasons. However, the four students involved in the lawsuit, who are enrolled at Wayne State University and the University of Michigan, reportedly have no criminal records.

Ramis Wadood, an ACLU of Michigan staff attorney, emphasized the randomness of the visa revocations, noting, “We have not seen any rhyme or reason to how the Trump Administration targeted these students. At most, we have seen a large number of Indian, Chinese, and Nepalese students affected.”

The lawsuit argues that the revocations are unconstitutional, infringing upon the students’ right to due process. It seeks to have the students’ visa statuses reinstated, allowing them to continue their education without fear of detention or deportation.

“The school doesn’t even know why, because the government hasn’t given anybody notice explaining why they’re doing this,” Wadood stated. “[The students] are just left in the dark, and left to pack their bags. But luckily, our four clients want to stand up and fight back against this lawless termination of their status.”

Since last week, the Department of Homeland Security has revoked the student status of hundreds of international students, including 22 reported at the University of Michigan and others at various institutions such as Michigan State University, Central Michigan University, and Grand Valley State University.

Wadood expressed the importance of community support for non-citizens, saying, “People without American citizenship are our neighbors, they are our friends. They walk down the street, drive down the street with us. And we need to show up for them, support them, and treat them like equal members of our community.”