An important court ruling has taken place in the United States, which could significantly impact the fates of thousands of international students studying in the country
The Federal District Court of California considered numerous complaints and statements from student rights advocates and issued a decision that officially prohibits the Trump administration from canceling the visa status of foreign students without proper judicial review. This ruling has a broad scope and applies nationwide, becoming one of the most significant steps in protecting the rights of foreign nationals studying in the country. According to the judgment, any actions aimed at revoking the legal status of foreign students in the U.S., including visa cancellations, can now only be carried out through individual, case-by-case consideration. The administration must follow all procedures outlined in federal regulations before taking any related actions. It is emphasized that the decision takes into account the need for a justified approach and requires authorities to adhere to established standards, ensuring students' right to fair protection and preventing unwarranted repressive measures. This court decision surfaced amid the mass measures that the Trump administration began implementing earlier this year. Notably, thousands of foreign nationals were deregistered from the SEVIS system (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System), effectively closing their path to legal residence in the U.S. under student status. The administration justified this step as part of its efforts to combat potential threats from students with criminal backgrounds, but these measures were also partly motivated by a desire to tighten immigration control. An additional significant factor was the information that during the same period, the U.S. revoked Harvard University's accreditation for programs managed through the SEVIS database. This meant the university could no longer legally enroll international students, leading to a serious crisis within its academic community and sparking protests. However, it is important to note that the relevant court order concerns individual students and their legal status, not the entire institution. Experts highlight that deregistration from SEVIS effectively leads to the loss of legal status for students in the U.S., increasing the risks of detention, arrest, or enforced departure without further procedures. Despite earlier reinstatements of the statuses of thousands of students—despite numerous court cases and disputes—judges express concern that the government is attempting to bypass judicial oversight by directly changing its policies during individual case considerations. Federal Judge Jeffrey White, in his ruling, actively criticizes officials' tactics, which involve "drastically" changing their positions to avoid legislative procedures and to process individual students' applications at their own discretion. He emphasizes that such an approach is illegal and could lead to numerous abuses. White notes that the students who have filed this lawsuit have a high chance of success because their right to protection is considered violated, and the administration's decisions are arbitrary and unpredictable. The ruling also prohibits the government from detaining or arresting students whose statuses have been canceled, as well as from imposing any adverse legal consequences without proper judicial proceedings. Earlier media reports indicated that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is suspending grants to Harvard University totaling over $60 million. The reason cited was what the department called the university's insufficient response to anti-Semitic attitudes and discriminatory actions on campus. In early March, university leadership announced that, due to financial uncertainties caused by the Trump administration's policies, the hiring of new faculty and staff had been temporarily halted. Subsequently, in April, the university filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, accusing it of arbitrary cuts to university research funding as a way to punish the institution for defending its constitutional rights. Overall, the situation in the U.S. remains highly uncertain and reflects a confrontation between governmental authorities and educational institutions, as well as the interests of international students seeking educational opportunities in a country that highly values intellectual contribution and international partnership. The court ruling prohibiting visa cancellations without proper review opens new prospects for students; however, this victory still needs to be solidified in legislative terms, and efforts are required to establish stable, guaranteed rights for foreign nationals wishing to study in the United States.