A US district court has temporarily restored the F-1 visa status of Xiaotian Liu, an international student at Dartmouth College, offering the first legal relief for hundreds of students who have recently faced sudden visa terminations. Judge Samantha Elliott issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Wednesday, allowing Liu to continue his studies in the US while the court hears his case in the coming weeks.
Several international students, including many from India, have reported abrupt revocation of their F-1 status on the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), often without prior notice or stated reason. Many were instructed to leave the country immediately, despite having no criminal or immigration violations.
The case was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire (ACLU-NH), which is now planning broader legal action. Legal experts say this is the first known instance of a US court intervening since the wave of F-1 visa revocations began.
Gilles Bissonnette, Legal Director at ACLU-NH, told TOI's Lubna Kably, “The court’s temporary restoration of our client’s student status means that he can continue studying and working on what he loves - computer science. International students are a vital community in our state’s universities, and no administration should be allowed to circumvent the law to unilaterally strip students of status, disrupt their studies, and put them at risk of deportation.”
Ronald L. Abramson, Chair of the Immigration Law Group at Shaheen & Gordon, the firm representing Liu, added, “Today’s decision reaffirms the basic principle that a person who follows all the rules should not be subject to losing their immigration status - and everything they have worked so hard to achieve - based upon the government’s whim. Just as individuals must comply with the law, so should our government.”
Immigration attorneys told The Times of India that cases filed under the Administrative Procedure Act are showing results. They argue that due process, including the right to be informed of government actions and to access the evidence used against individuals, must be upheld.
District court petitions and potential class action lawsuits are expected to increase as international students seek to challenge the government’s actions.
Several international students, including many from India, have reported abrupt revocation of their F-1 status on the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), often without prior notice or stated reason. Many were instructed to leave the country immediately, despite having no criminal or immigration violations.
The case was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire (ACLU-NH), which is now planning broader legal action. Legal experts say this is the first known instance of a US court intervening since the wave of F-1 visa revocations began.
Gilles Bissonnette, Legal Director at ACLU-NH, told TOI's Lubna Kably, “The court’s temporary restoration of our client’s student status means that he can continue studying and working on what he loves - computer science. International students are a vital community in our state’s universities, and no administration should be allowed to circumvent the law to unilaterally strip students of status, disrupt their studies, and put them at risk of deportation.”
Ronald L. Abramson, Chair of the Immigration Law Group at Shaheen & Gordon, the firm representing Liu, added, “Today’s decision reaffirms the basic principle that a person who follows all the rules should not be subject to losing their immigration status - and everything they have worked so hard to achieve - based upon the government’s whim. Just as individuals must comply with the law, so should our government.”
Immigration attorneys told The Times of India that cases filed under the Administrative Procedure Act are showing results. They argue that due process, including the right to be informed of government actions and to access the evidence used against individuals, must be upheld.
District court petitions and potential class action lawsuits are expected to increase as international students seek to challenge the government’s actions.
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