Indian students have been disproportionately affected by the Department of State’s (DOS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) recent crackdown on international students. Last month, Secretary Rubio announced that DOS had canceled over 300 student visas and introduced a new ‘Catch and Revoke’ program that uses AI-assisted reviews to filter student visa holders’ social media activities.
According to a recent release by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), 50 percent of the reported cases (from a sample of 327) involve Indian students.
While half of the students were from India, students from China, South Korea, Nepal, and Bangladesh also saw their visas revoked and SEVIS records terminated.
50 percent were on Optional Practical Training (OPT), meaning they had graduated and were employed in the United States.
The findings also showed that only 57 percent reported receiving notice of their visa revocation. The majority of these notices came by email from the consulate that issued their visa. Only 2 students reported any history of engaging in political protests.
AILA collected 327 reports of visa revocations and SEVIS terminations from attorneys, students, and university employees. The AILA report also states that, according to a verified source, ICE has terminated 4,736 SEVIS records since January 20, 2025, the majority on F-1 status.
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Notice of Visa Revocation
The notice for SEVIS termination received by students varied significantly across the reports. Of the reports where it was clear where the notice came from, 83 percent received notice from only their university.
There were several documented lags between SEVIS termination and any form of notice, which could have immigration consequences if a student continued to work without being aware of the termination.
The lack of proactive communication from the federal government regarding the termination of a SEVIS record is a source of concern for colleges and students.
Unless the university seeks this information or a student requests that their university verify, the student will be unable to take actions to avoid any cascading immigration consequences.
Only 14 percent reported receiving notice from ICE, and these were all students on OPT who received an email informing them that their OPT had been terminated.
7 percent reported receiving no notice at all. Several students reported that they proactively reached out to ICE through their Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) or discovered that their account was inaccessible, which prompted the discovery of the termination through their school
The stated rationale for the SEVIS terminations was not always consistent with the record.
At least 17 reports indicate that their SEVIS record was terminated due to a criminal record, and their visa was revoked when the student did not have a history of interaction with the police, and there was nothing in their record that would prompt a visa revocation.
While 86 percent reported some level of interaction with the police, 33 percent had their case dismissed, were never charged, or were never prosecuted.
The Department of State (DOS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are aggressively targeting international students, including those without a history of protest, for visa revocation, termination of their status, and removal.
These students are unable to work immediately after their SEVIS record is terminated. Those who have already graduated and are employed on OPT face a far more complex and ambiguous path to re-establishing status than those who are presently enrolled.
Finally, there should be a way for students to appeal SEVIS terminations that are inaccurate without facing a gap in their employment or requiring the university to be involved, given the sheer number of those impacted. It is clear that transparency, oversight, and accountability are needed to prevent further arbitrary visa revocations and SEVIS record terminations, the report suggests.