The U.S. government is reversing course and reinstating the legal status of thousands of international students nationwide, a government lawyer said in federal court on Friday.
At least 11 University of Minnesota students had lost their legal status or had their visas revoked as of mid-April, alongside dozens of other students in Minnesota and more than 1,200 students across the nation.
Four out of the 11 students have had their legal status restored, according to an email from University spokesperson Andria Waclawski.
For some, such as University graduate students Doğukan Günaydin and Ziliang Jin, the change in legal status was attributed to misdemeanor offenses like drunk driving or traffic violations.
Both Günaydin and Jin are among more than 100 lawsuits against the federal government, with many judges ordering the administration to temporarily undo the actions, Politico reported.
These come after other student visas were revoked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this year for connections to pro-Palestinian protests.
The loss of legal status and visa revocations have left students at risk for deportation. Some students have avoided going to classes while others have left the country.
A rumor that Department of Homeland Security officers were present on the University of Minnesota campus several weeks ago caused fear and uncertainty for University students, but Waclawski said these reports are unsubstantiated.
A lawyer for the federal government read a statement in federal court Friday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is restoring the legal student status of people whose Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records were terminated, the Associated Press reported.
SEVIS is a database that tracks international students studying in the U. S. and identifies their visa status.
The lawyer’s statement said ICE is developing a framework for terminating SEVIS records, Politico reported. Students’ SEVIS records will remain active or will be reinstated regardless of if they had filed a lawsuit.