US reviewing all US visa-holders for deportable violations: AP

US reviewing all US visa-holders for deportable violations: AP

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by University of Iowa students who allege they were targeted for deportation. The students, who are international students and graduates, sued DHS in April 2025 for wrongful termination of their student status, claiming that the action caused them irreparable stress and anxiety due to fear of imminent seizure and deportation [1].

The federal agency argues that it has complied with court orders in the case by reversing a decision in April to alter the students’ status within the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). DHS contends that this reversal has rendered the lawsuit moot, as the students have obtained the relief they originally sought [1].

The case involves four UI international students and one international-student graduate who sued DHS for wrongful termination of their student status. The students alleged that their SEVIS records were altered, which could have paved the way for their deportation. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in May 2025, requiring DHS to maintain the students’ status as students in its SEVIS records and to add a notation of active student status that would be backdated to the date the agency had terminated that status [1].

DHS has argued that technological limitations with SEVIS records prevent the creation of written notations that would be visible to other users of the system, such as schools and employers, outside of DHS. However, the U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger denied DHS’ motion to revise the injunction, noting that DHS had made no assertions as to what efforts had been made to remedy the claimed technological limitations within SEVIS [1].

The DHS motion to dismiss the lawsuit comes amid a broader review of all U.S. visa-holders for deportable violations. The U.S. Department of State has so far revoked over 6,000 international student visas in 2025 over allegations that the students had overstayed their visas or broken laws [2]. The Trump administration’s attacks on international students have contributed uncertainty to the higher education landscape, with international enrollment potentially declining by 150,000 students this fall, a 15% overall decline [2].

The DHS motion to dismiss the lawsuit will be heard on August 27, 2025. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for international students and the broader immigration policy landscape in the United States.

References:

[1] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/homeland-security-says-ui-students-151143237.html

[2] https://www.highereddive.com/news/state-departmnt-revoked-6000-student-visas/758081/