The federal government is reversing the termination of legal status for international students after numerous court challenges were filed across the United States. Judges had previously issued temporary orders to restore these students' records in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) database after they were abruptly terminated without notification. A government lawyer announced in federal court that ICE is manually restoring the status of affected students and developing a new policy framework for SEVIS record terminations. This policy will ensure that records remain active or are reactivated, and ICE will not alter records solely based on NCIC findings. The reversal will apply broadly to all similarly affected international students, not just those involved in lawsuits, addressing concerns from schools and students caught off guard by the sudden terminations.

A government lawyer stated that the federal government is reversing the termination of legal status for international students, following numerous court challenges across the U.S. where judges had already issued temporary orders to restore records.

ICE had suddenly terminated many international students' records in recent weeks without notifying the students or their schools, leading to legal action and temporary judicial interventions to restore these records.

A statement read in federal court revealed that ICE is manually restoring terminated student statuses and is developing a policy to provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations.

The new policy will ensure that SEVIS records for affected plaintiffs and similarly situated students remain active or are reactivated, and ICE will not modify records solely based on NCIC findings.

This reversal and pending policy development will impact all students in similar situations, not limited to those who have pursued legal action, addressing the unexpected terminations that caught both students and schools off guard.

SEVIS, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, tracks international student compliance with visa status, while NCIC, maintained by the FBI, was cited in the terminations due to criminal record checks.

Many international students and educational institutions discovered the abrupt terminations during routine database checks or after being alerted by similar cases, emphasizing the need for transparent and consistent record management.