In a sudden policy shift, the Trump administration is temporarily restoring the legal visa status of thousands of international students whose SEVIS registrations were recently terminated — a move that sparked widespread legal challenges and student protests across the country.

ICE Reverses SEVIS Terminations Amid Legal Pressure

Following more than 100 lawsuits and emergency court orders across 23 states, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is now manually reactivating student visa records in the SEVIS system. The about-face affects students whose records were abruptly deactivated due to criminal history checks, often flagging minor charges or dismissed cases.

Many students were left in limbo, with their schools blocking access to classes and research, and some even facing the threat of deportation. The reversal, however, is not permanent.

“ICE is developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations,” a DOJ attorney told the Associated Press. “Until such a policy is issued… ICE will not modify records solely based on the NCIC [National Crime Information Center] findings.”

Protests and Panic Prompt Action

Students across the country — particularly in California, New York, and Massachusetts — walked out of classes and organized protests, accusing the administration of targeting international students with vague justifications. A viral photo from Los Angeles City Hall earlier this year showed hundreds of students rallying in protest of what they called “politically motivated immigration enforcement.”

School administrators discovered the terminations while auditing the SEVIS database, which tracks the compliance of foreign students in the U.S. with visa conditions.

Legal Status Still in Question

Despite the restoration of SEVIS records, the actual student visa documents (F-1) may still be in jeopardy. It’s unclear whether the State Department — under Secretary Marco Rubio — will reinstate the visas of students who were affected. Many had their visas outright canceled, not just suspended in the database.

This latest reversal does not guarantee long-term legal stability for these students, and ICE retains the authority to revoke SEVIS records for other immigration violations or serious offenses.

Key Points:

• SEVIS records reinstated temporarily for thousands of foreign students.

• ICE to pause enforcement based solely on minor NCIC criminal flags.

• Legal battles and public pressure forced the reversal.

• Future visa status uncertain as ICE drafts new termination policy.