The Trump administration is being sued in federal court over a sweeping crackdown that stripped hundreds of international students of their legal right to stay in the U.S.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a class-action lawsuit in New Hampshire, accusing the government of illegally revoking student visas and putting their futures at risk.
“The consequences of Defendants’ unilateral and unlawful termination are dire,” ACLU lawyers wrote. “The termination puts students out of lawful student status. Plaintiffs and the class face immigration detention and deportation. Plaintiffs and the class face severe financial and academic hardship.”
More than 1,100 foreign students at over 170 colleges and universities have had their legal status suddenly revoked, according to a tally by the Associated Press. Many were in the middle of their semester, and say they followed all the rules.
The lawsuit says the visa terminations are not only unlawful but deeply disruptive. “Defendants’ unilateral and unlawful terminations have severely disrupted the educational opportunities of students who are in the middle of their studies (and in the middle of a semester) and who are simply trying to obtain, often at considerable expense, an education in the United States,” the complaint states.
In response, international students have filed lawsuits in multiple states, including Wisconsin, Montana, and New Hampshire. Several courts have granted temporary restraining orders to stop the deportations, but students still face uncertainty.
The Trump administration has defended the actions, saying visa holders who break laws or pose security threats don’t deserve to stay.
“The American Civil Liberties Union appears far more interested in protecting foreign students than the civil liberties and safety of Americans,” said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live & study in the United States of America. When you break our laws and advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked.”
She added that the Department of State handles decisions on visa revocations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that over 300 student visas had already been canceled as of last month, and the number was climbing.
The government has targeted some students with criminal records, but others had simply taken part in on-campus protests over Israel’s war in Gaza. Officials haven’t been clear about how decisions are made.
“We don’t go into statistics or numbers; we don’t go into the rationale for what happens with individual visas,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. “What we can tell you is that the department revokes visas every day in order to secure our borders and to keep our community safe, and we’ll continue to do so.”
For the students involved, the crackdown has turned their lives upside down. They came to study—but are now stuck fighting to stay.
