• A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's efforts to revoke the legal status of international students.
• The injunction affects over 4,700 students whose legal status was terminated abruptly.
• Judge Jeffrey White criticized the government's actions as creating significant hardship for students.

A federal judge in California has issued a nationwide injunction blocking the Trump administration from terminating the legal status of international students while a court challenge is ongoing. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White, based in Oakland, found that over 4,700 students had their legal status abruptly revoked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under a policy known as the “Student Criminal Alien Initiative.” He noted that the students' legal status is essential for their ability to continue their studies and employment in the U.S. according to CBS News, LA Times, and India Times.

The judge's ruling prohibits federal immigration authorities from arresting or incarcerating international students based solely on their legal status until the dispute is resolved. Students can still face arrest for other reasons, and their legal status could be revoked if they are convicted of serious crimes. White emphasized the distress caused by these abrupt terminations, stating that the government’s actions “wreaked havoc” on the lives of the plaintiffs and other non-immigrant students in the U.S., as highlighted by LA Times and India Times.

The legal challenge was initiated by approximately two dozen students who found their F-1 visa statuses canceled without adequate notice or explanation, attributed to the government's overhaul of immigration enforcement policies. This policy change, part of a broader crackdown on immigrants, has caused considerable uncertainty among international students, many of whom are now grappling with the repercussions of having their SEVIS records terminated, according to CBS News and LA Times.

Judge White's ruling cautioned against the government's "whack-a-mole" approach of changing policies in response to legal obstacles, arguing that such tactics undermine the stability and certainty essential for international students' status. The order signifies a crucial legal victory for students amidst ongoing national debates around immigration policy, as articulated by India Times and LA Times.