The American Immigration Lawyers Association has revealed a study claiming that 50 per cent of the reported cases of US students whose visas got revoked are Indian. The association examined 327 reports of visa revocations by the Donald Trump administration and found out India leads the list followed by China with 14 per cent of Chinese students being at the receiving end of Trump’s crackdown on visas.
The study found out that a total of 50 per cent of visa revocations impacted those who were on Optional Practical Training (OPT), which means they had graduated and were employed in the United States.
While the Trump administration has been reiterating that the visa crackdowns are not without any reason and most plausible reason is involvement in political unrest, the report claimed that of the total cases, only two students reported any history of engaging in political protests. “While 86% reported some level of interaction with the police, 33% had their case dismissed, were never charged, or were never prosecuted,” said the lawyers’ association. Two of the students who had reported interaction with the police are complainants in domestic violence cases. Some of the others had speeding tickets and parking-related violations.
“Based on these reports, it is clear that transparency, oversight and accountability are needed to prevent further arbitrary visa revocations and SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) record terminations,” said the association. “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.”
The report stated that, according to a verified source, ICE has terminated 4,736 SEVIS records since January 20, 2025, the majority on F-1 status.
Only 14 per cent of students reported receiving notice from ICE and they were all on OPT. They received mails informing them that their OPT had been terminated. About seven per cent reported receiving no notice — neither from ICE, nor from their colleges.
