Seventeen international students have filed a federal lawsuit in Georgia accusing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of unlawfully terminating their student visas without due process, creating widespread legal and educational uncertainty. The case underscores growing tension between immigration enforcement practices and federal regulations governing student visa status.
The plaintiffs—students attending universities across the United States—assert that ICE used the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to revoke their legal status despite their continued compliance with visa requirements. The lawsuit names U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons as defendants.
According to the complaint, students were removed from SEVIS following ambiguous references to visa revocations. In several instances, these actions were linked to criminal background checks that yielded no formal charges or convictions.
One student at Georgia Tech reportedly received notice of visa termination just days before graduation, even though his only legal record was a dismissed traffic citation.
The plaintiffs argue that ICE’s own operational guidelines contradict such actions. They cite agency policy stating that visa revocation alone does not justify termination of a SEVIS record.
Instead, once a visa is revoked, students are permitted to complete their academic programs, and SEVIS termination should only occur when a student leaves the U.S. and is required to obtain a new visa to reenter.
Attorneys for the students are seeking a temporary restraining order to restore SEVIS registration and reinstate legal status. The lawsuit emphasizes the significant repercussions of SEVIS removal, which jeopardizes not only continued education but also legal work authorization under programs such as Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT), as well as future residency and reentry eligibility.
The suit asserts that the plaintiffs have a constitutionally protected property interest in their SEVIS registration and that ICE’s actions represent an unlawful circumvention of due process.
“No Plaintiff has been placed in removal proceedings,” the complaint states. “ICE cannot misuse SEVIS to circumvent the law, strip students of status, and drive them out of the country without process.”
