Three students form India and two from China have joined teams to sue the Trump administration on Friday over revoking F-1 student visa over minor misdemeanors such as traffic or parking violations. The students' demand is to reinstate all terminated student visas and stop deportation and detention, the Times of India reported.
The quintet claimed that such sudden termination of visas has left the future of hundreds - if not thousands - of students and Optional Practical Training (OPT) participants uncertain. The class action lawsuit was filed before the US District Court in New Hampshire.
“These injuries are real… Their graduation is unpredictable and unlikely unless this Court intervenes,” the lawsuit pressed, stressing that no formal notices were sent before the termination of visas.
Their lawsuit states, “Plaintiffs and proposed class members have maintained their student status by making progress toward completing their course of study, not engaging in unauthorized employment, and not having any conviction for a crime of violence for which a sentence of more than one year imprisonment may be imposed.”
Who Are These Students?
The Indian plaintiffs include Manikanta Pasula, Linkhith Babu Gorrela and Thanuj Kumar. While Pasula and Kumar remain one semester away from finishing their Master라이브 바카라 degrees, Gorrela라이브 바카라 graduation day is scheduled on May 25 this year.
The Chinese counterparts include Hangrui Zhang and Haoyang Ans from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Massachusetts). While Haoyang invested as much as $329,196 in his education in the U.S. with no hopes of finishing it anymore, Hangrui ‘s sole source of income was his research stipend.
They claim that cannot find work through OPT since their graduation is either over or their degrees are reportedly withheld. OPT is a U.S. program that permits international students holding F-1 student visas to work in the country for up to a year, either during or after completing their studies, only if the work is directly related to their field of study.
The students allege that in addition to the detention and deportation paranoia, they were also subjected to “severe financial and academic hardship.”
Why were the visas revoked?
Pasula - a computer engineer - was arrested for driving without a valid U.S. license. However, New Hampshire law recognizes an International Driving Permit which can be used for up to two months after the foreign student arrives in the country. Regardless, Pasula had to plead guilty and pay a fine of $248.
Despite this, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked his visa, of which he was informed through an email by Rivier University. “Remaining in the United States without a lawful immigration status can result in fines, detention, and/or deportation,” the official notice stated.
The US Consulate General, Mumbai, issued a separate email, confirming that his visa was terminated.
Kumar too was driving with his International Driving Permit, the validity of which had surpassed. He received a notice by the DHS informing him that his visa was terminated despite fulfilling the protocol of submitting fines accordingly.
The Chinese plaintiffs - Haoyang and Hangrui - were involved in minor felonies involving driving without an active insurance policy in Massachusetts and another unrelated escalation, respectively.
