Subsequent Trump and Court Action(s)

• March 30, 2025

  2025.03.30 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus - Gunaydin v. Trump

  Dogukan Gunaydin, a graduate student from Turkey attending the University of Minnesota, filed a writ of habeas corpus to challenge the legality of his detention. Gunaydin was arrested by ICE on March 28 and had his visa revoked hours later. According to reporting by the New York Times, DHS has alleged that Gunaydin was arrested in connection with a 2023 DUI case in which he pleaded guilty—not due to participation in campus activism. Gunaydin v. Trump, No. 0:25-cv-01151 (D. Minn.).

  **Litigation entries are limited to initial complaints and major substantive rulings. For pleadings and additional information, use name and docket number to search Civil Rights Clearinghouse and CourtListener or visit Just Security Litigation Tracker**

  View Document
• April 5, 2025

  20205.04.05 Reported: Trump administration cancels dozens of international student visas at University of California, Stanford - Los Angeles Times

  The Los Angeles Times reports that "dozens of international students attending several California universities have had their visas revoked by the Trump administration." The Times notes that UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla stated that the university received the terminations "without warning . . . Khosla said a sixth student was “detained at the border, denied entry and deported to their home country.” A statement by the University of California school system stated that they are “aware that international students across several of our campuses have been impacted by recent SEVIS terminations."

  View Document
• April 5, 2025

  2025.04.05 Reported: Foreign students are quietly being pushed out of the US without reason or process - Economic Times

  The Economic Times reports that ICE has started cancelling foreign student visas at universities across the country "without any formal communication from federal authorities. Many institutions are only finding out after students receive alarming emails stating their SEVIS [Student and Exchange Visitor Information System] records have been revoked."

  View Document
• April 5, 2025

  2025.04.05 Complaint - Student Doe 1 v. Noem

  An international student who was on an F-1 visa filed suit after their SEVIS status was terminated and visa revoked. The lawsuit argues that the SEVIS termination violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Fifth Amendment’s due process guarantee. Student Doe 1 v. Noem, No. 5:25-cv-00847 (C.D. Cal.).

  **See litigation note above**

  View Document
• April 7, 2025

  2025.04.07 - Complaint - C.S. v. Noem

  An international student attending school in Pennsylvania on an F-1 visa filed a class action complaint alleging that the termination of C.S.'s SEVIS record was arbitrary and capricious, not in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act and applicable law, and failed to provide C.S. with notice and opportunity to be heard. According to the complaint, "DHS terminated C.S.'s SEVIS record based on a criminal records check" based upon an expunged arrested for disorderly conduct and public drunkenness for which the district attorney dropped all charges.

  The proposed class would include "all student visa holders within the United States whose SEVIS records have been terminated by DHS based on criminal records checks showing only charges that do not interfere with the students' 'normal progress toward completion of a course of study,'" citing 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(5), which provides that such students are "considered to be maintaining status." C.S. requests an injunction requiring DHS to reinstate the SEVIS records of the proposed class members. C.S. v. Noem, No. 2:25-cv-00477 (W.D. Pa.).

  **See litigation note above**

  View Document
• April 7, 2025

  2025.04.07 Reported: Nearly 300 Students Have Had Visas Revoked and Could Face Deportation - New York Times

  The New York Times reports that "[n]early 300 international students were abruptly stripped of their ability to stay in the United States in recent days, according to universities and media reports."

  View Document
• April 9, 2025

  2025.04.10 Complaint - Doe v. Noem

  On April 9, 2025, a doctoral student from China who is studying at the University of Washington sued DHS for revoking terminating his SEVIS access based on a pending DUI charge. The lawsuit alleges that the government's acts were arbitrary, and in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Fifth Amendment's Due Process requirements. The complaint states that, "[n]othing in these regulations authorizes termination based solely on an arrest without a conviction or a mere allegation of wrongdoing." Doe v. Noem, Case No: 2:25-cv-00633 (W.D. Wash.).

  **See litigation note above**

  View Document
• April 10, 2025

  2025.04.10 Complaint - Deore v. DHS

  Four international students at Michigan universities filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security after their F-1 student status terminated under SEVIS without sufficient notice or explanation. The reason given for termination in SEVIS was, "Individual indentified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked." None of the plaintiffs have ever been charged with or convicted of any crime in the United States. The complaint alleges that the terminations failed to comply with 8 C.F.R. § 214.1(d) and violated the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause and the Administrative Procedure Act. Deore v. U.S. Dep't of Homeland Security, 2:25-cv-11038, (E.D. Mich.).

  **See litigation note above**

  View Document
• April 14, 2025

  2025.04.14 Declaration of Andre Watson - Deore v. DHS

  Andre Watson, assistant director of the national security division for Homeland Security Investigations, filed a declaration in support of the government's response to the plaintiffs motion for a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction. In the declaration, on pg. 5, Watson stated that "terminating a record in SEVIS does not terminate an individual's nonimmigrant status in the United States." Deore v. U.S. Dep't of Homeland Security, 2:25-cv-11038, (E.D. Mich.).

  **See litigation note above**

  View Document
• April 15, 2025

  2025.04.15 Complaint - Liu et al. v. Noem et al.

  The ACLU of Indiana filed a lawsuit against DHS on behalf of seven international students whose lawful status was terminated without explanation. The complaint asserts that, "Plaintiffs were in compliance with the terms of their F-1 status and have not engaged in any conduct justifying termination of that status." Plaintiffs argue that DHS violated the students' Fifth Amendment due process rights, and failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act because its action was both arbitrary and capricious and an abuse of discretion. The ACLU of Indiana has requested a temporary restraining order to protect the students. Liu et al. v. Noem et al., no. 1:25-cv-716 (S.D. Ind.)

  **See litigation note above**

  View Document
• April 15, 2025

  2025.04.15 Complaint - Villar Castellanos v. Noem

  Four international students from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley challenged the termination of their SEVIS statuses and asked the court to restore their statuses. According to reporting by MyRGV, the lawsuit alleges that the students were "in full compliance with the terms of their status" and "had not engaged in conduct that would result in the termination of that status." Villar Castellanos v. Noem, No. 1:25-cv-00080 (S.D. Tex.).

  **See litigation note above**

  View Document
• April 18, 2025

  2025.04.18 Order Granting TRO - Jane Doe 1 v. Bondi

  Judge Victoria Calvert of the Northern District of Georgia issued a TRO enjoining the Defendants from terminating SEVIS records and ordering the agencies to restore their student statuses and SEVIS authorization. Judge Calvert found the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their APA claims that the terminations of SEVIS records and of F-1 status violated 8 C.F.R. § 214.1(d), were arbitrary and capricious, and violated procedural requirements. Jane Doe 1 v. Bondi, No. 1:25-cv-01998-VMC (N.D. Ga.)

  **See litigation note above**

  View Document
• April 24, 2025

  2025.04.24 Complaint - Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education et al. v. Bondi et al.

  The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and five unnamed students filed a federal lawsuit in the Massachusetts District Court challenging the Trump administration’s decision to terminate international students' SEVIS records. The complaint alleges the terminations violate federal regulations, the Administrative Procedure Act, and students' Fifth Amendment due process rights. The suit asks the Court to declare the policy unlawful, cancel improper SEVIS terminations, enjoin DHS from making future terminations at member schools, immediately restore affected students' SEVIS records, and stay the policy while the case is litigated. Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education v. Bondi, No. 1:25-cv-111 (D. Mass.)

  **Litigation entries are limited to initial complaints and major substantive rulings. For pleadings and additional information, use name and docket number to search Civil Rights Clearinghouse and CourtListener or visit Just Security Litigation Tracker**

  View Document
• April 25, 2025

  2025.04.25 ICE Written Statement reversing foreign student visa policy

  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sauter notified the federal court that ICE leadership sent him the following notice: "ICE is developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations. Until such a policy is issued, the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain Active or shall be re-activated if not currently active and ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination."

  **See litigation note above**

  View Document
• April 25, 2025

  2025.04.25 Reported: U.S. Restores Legal Status for Many International Students, but Warns of Removals to Come - NYT

  The New York Times reports on ICE's decision to restore SEVIS status for international students. DOJ informed a federal judge during an April 25 hearing that "student records that had been purged from [SEVIS] in recent weeks would be restored, along with their legal status." ICE reserves the authority to terminate SEVIS status and indicates that is has "begun work on a new system for reviewing and terminating the records of international students and academics studying in the United States."

  According to the Times, a senior DHS official said the students whose legal status was restored on Friday could still very well have it terminated in the future, along with their visas. Similarly, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin stated that the administration has "not reversed course on a single visa revocation," but rather "restore[d] SEVIS access for people who had not had their visa revoked."

  The government has already moved to dismiss lawsuits over the SEVIS deletions, arguing that they are now moot because of the administration's policy change.

  View Document
• April 26, 2025

  2025.04.28 DHS - SEVIS Notice - Policy Regarding Termination of Records

  Court records from Arizona Student DOE 2 v. Trump, No. 4:25-cv-00175 (D. Ariz.) show that DHS sent SEVP personnel notice of a new policy regarding SEVIS records terminations. The policy explains that a student’s SEVIS record could be terminated for various reasons, including “several normal, administrative reasons,” and that “termination does not always result in an adverse impact on the student.”

  The policy focuses on two specific reasons for which a SEVIS record may be terminated: (1) failure to comply with terms of nonimmigrant status and (2) visa revocation by DOS. According to the policy, when SEVP has “objective evidence that a nonimmigrant visa holder is no longer complying with the terms of their nonimmigrant status for any reason, then the SEVIS record may be terminated on that basis.” ICE then has discretion to investigate further or initiate removal proceedings pursuant to INA § 237(a)(1)(C)(i). Additionally, in cases where DOS has revoked a noncitizen’s visa, SEVP “may terminate the nonimmigrant’s SEVIS record based on the visa revocation with immediate effect.”

  View Document
• April 30, 2025

  2025.04.30 Reported: Trump administration reveals how it targeted thousands of international students on visas

  Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials told NBC News that DHS used ten to twenty employees over the course of two to three weeks to run the names of 1.3 million foreign-born students through the National Crime Information Center in what was termed the "Student Criminal Alien Initiative." Roughly 3,000 students had their visas revoked. The State Department then instructed DHS to terminate the students’ SEVIS records. 

  View Document