Trump Restores Cancelled Student Visas but Fight to Go On

offers immediate relief for many, but questions remain. Legal battles against the crackdown will continue.

A Hyderabad-based student, living in Indiana who requested not to be named, said: "The government cancelling visas of students was anti-constitutional. It is good that they have moved back, but the fear is still there."

Speaking to the media, Greg Chen, senior director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), said: “It is still unclear whether ICE will restore status to everyone it has targeted and whether the state department will help students whose visas were wrongly revoked,” referring to the US department of homeland security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Federal courts were weighing broader protections. Through a lawsuit filed in Oakland, attorneys are seeking a nationwide order preventing the government from arresting or deporting students further on. Although the government lawyers argue that the move is premature, attorneys on the behalf of students continue to press on.

Supporting the students, US district judge Jeffrey S. White, who is presiding over the Oakland case, expressed scepticism about relying solely on ICE’s assurances. He said the administration’s shifting policies is like a game of "whack-a-mole”, and ordered the government to provide further clarification on the developing policy.

Although ICE’s reversal marks a critical victory for international students, advocates warn that lasting protections will require continued legal pressure — and potentially, further court intervention.

Earlier, ICE had terminated the records of more than 1,200 international students, including hundreds of Indian students, leaving many at risk of deportation.

Students said that they lost their legal status abruptly, with many not even knowing the reasons behind the revocation. Some students, due to their actions, were forced to leave the country or stop attending classes. But some also filed lawsuits against ICE and the government for wrongful revocation.

In a statement shared by attorneys representing the students, the government said ICE would reactivate affected the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records of students, and will not terminate records based solely on National Crime Information Centre (NCIC) database findings until a formal policy framework is established.