International Students Have Visa Standing Restored After Legal Challenges

SEATTLE, WA — At least 50 international students in Washington and Oregon will have their immigration status restored after a reversal from the Justice Department on Friday. This decision follows a wave of lawsuits and court orders challenging the removals, which affected thousands of students earlier this month.

Portland State University confirmed that three students whose visas were revoked have now seen them reinstated. The University of Oregon reported that three out of four impacted students have had their visas reactivated, while one student secured an alternative means to stay legally in the U.S.

Oregon State University noted that seven out of 13 students who lost their visas have been reinstated, with no students disenrolled due to the cancellations. Initially, State Department officials accused these students of breaking the law, stating they could face revocation and deportation.

However, lawyers indicated to KUOW that many students found in law enforcement databases were identified as crime victims or had cooperated in investigations, and that charges against several students had been dropped.

Kate Hellmann, director of international student services at Washington State University, described the situation as a state of turmoil for affected students left without legal status. Attorney Jay Gairson, who represents 16 students, noted that two had been disenrolled due to the visa removals, while one student left the country without legal assistance.

Gairson attributes the Justice Department’s reversal to the volume of litigation filed nationwide. He expressed concerns that some students may miss critical academic quarters because they were forced to withdraw and may now fall short of the required credits.

He emphasized that students and universities should not bear the burden of the confusion caused by government actions. “People depend on the government being accurate and consistent in what it tells people,” he said.

SEVIS, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, is a database used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to track visa information. A senior Homeland Security official stated that even if someone’s SEVIS record were eliminated, it wouldn’t terminate their nonimmigrant status.

Despite the Justice Department’s recent actions, Assistant Secretary Trica McLaughlin clarified that no visa revocations had been reversed but SEVIS access was restored for individuals without revoked visas.

Gairson remains concerned that blame may shift toward affected students instead of addressing the confusion created by federal agencies.

The situation evolves as Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials indicate a future policy under which some student visas could still be revoked.