• The Trump administration has announced a reversal of visa terminations for international students amidst numerous lawsuits.
• More than 4,700 student visa records were terminated between late March and April 2025, causing panic among affected students.
• Court judges across the United States issued temporary orders halting visa terminations, prompting the administration's policy review.
• ICE is developing a new policy framework for terminating SEVIS records, which may affect future visa statuses.
• The reinstatement impacts students with minor infractions and those with previously dismissed charges.

The Trump administration has announced that it is reversing the termination of student visa registrations for potentially thousands of foreign students. This decision comes in response to numerous lawsuits filed by international students who had their legal status abruptly revoked, putting them at risk of deportation, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.

In recent weeks, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had terminated records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a database that tracks compliance with U.S. visa regulations, affecting more than 1,800 students, many of whom had minor legal infractions or no known violations at all, as reported by The New York Times and Los Angeles Times.

During a court hearing, federal officials announced that while they will restore the visa statuses of students impacted by these terminations, this is considered a temporary measure as ICE works on a new policy framework for managing future visa record terminations. Brian Green, a lawyer involved in one of the lawsuits, confirmed this development and provided details on the administration's current stance, according to HuffPost and CBS News.

Students who found their SEVIS records terminated were often unaware, as many of these changes occurred without notification from ICE. The widespread panic prompted a wave of legal challenges and temporary restraining orders from various U.S. courts designed to halt the revocations until a policy update is established, as highlighted by The Hill and BBC.

Despite the restoration of SEVIS records, reports have indicated that the administration still retains the authority to revoke student statuses based on new findings or undisclosed infractions, as noted by NPR and ABC News.