Over 130 International Students Sue Trump Administration Over Visa Cancellations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 130 international students across the United States have joined a federal lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of unlawfully canceling their visas, threatening their legal status and future in the country, according to recently filed court documents.

The lawsuit, initially brought by 17 students on April 11 in the state of Georgia, claims the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency abruptly and illegally terminated the students’ legal status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The move, plaintiffs argue, has left them at risk of arrest, detention, and deportation.

Since the initial filing, 116 additional students have joined the suit, underscoring widespread concern among international student communities amid an ongoing immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump’s administration.

The federal complaint names U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons as defendants. It seeks an immediate reinstatement of the revoked visas and relief from what the students describe as arbitrary and unexplained actions by immigration authorities.

Many of the affected students allege that they were given no reason for the terminations. In some cases, they speculate that minor, unrelated incidents may have triggered the revocations. One plaintiff, identified only as John Doe 2 for fear of retaliation, is a Chinese doctoral candidate at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His visa was revoked following a background check, which he believes may be related to a resolved traffic offense—his only known legal issue.

Another student, an Indian national studying at the New York Institute of Technology, was found not guilty in a shoplifting case that was later dismissed, yet still faced a SEVIS termination.

“Over the past week, visa revocations and SEVIS terminations have shaken campuses across the country,” the complaint reads. “The SEVIS terminations have taken place against the backdrop of numerous demands being made of universities by the federal government and threats of cutting off billions of dollars in federal funding.”

Legal experts warn that being removed from SEVIS could not only trigger immediate deportation proceedings, but also damage a student’s chances of reentering the U.S. in the future, even for education or employment.

With universities nationwide expressing concern and legal advocacy groups rallying in support, the case is being closely watched as a bellwether for how far immigration enforcement will go in reshaping the experience of international students in the U.S.

A court date has not yet been set.