US Crackdown On Student Visas: Half Of Revoked Cases Involve Indian Nationals

The recent crackdown by the US government on international students has sparked concern, particularly among Indian nationals.

According to a report published by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), approximately half of the 327 recent visa revocations recorded by the organisation involved Indian students.

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The AILA's briefing paper, titled 'The Scope of Immigration Enforcement Actions Against International Students', reveals that 50 per cent of those affected were from India, followed by 14 per cent from China.

Other nationalities impacted include students from South Korea, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Over the past four months, both the US State Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been scrutinising foreign students' information, including their political activism.

Some reports allege that artificial intelligence is being used for this monitoring, potentially leading to students being unfairly targeted despite having no criminal background or connection to campus protests.

In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio introduced the "Catch and Revoke" initiative, which aims to identify and monitor student visa holders by reviewing their social media activity for signs of antisemitism or support for Palestinians and Hamas.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is a platform used by the US Department of Homeland Security to track international students and exchange visitors.

An ICE statement noted that the visa status of 4,736 international students-mainly F-1 visa holders-had been revoked in SEVIS. AILA has described these administrative measures as unprecedented, raising numerous legal concerns that may need to be addressed in court.

The impact has been particularly severe for students on Optional Practical Training (OPT), a programme that permits international students on F-1 visas to work in the US for up to 12 months. With their visas now cancelled, many are no longer able to work. States most affected by the revocations include Texas, California, New York, Michigan, and Arizona.

The Indian government has responded to the situation. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We are aware that several Indian students have received communication from the US government regarding their F-1 visa status. We are looking into the matter. Our Embassy and Consulates are in contact with the affected students."