The legal status of several international students in Georgia is currently hanging in the balance as attorneys have taken to an Atlanta court Thursday morning to challenge the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to a report from 11Alive, the students' legal representatives are seeking a temporary restraining order against ICE for what they deem an improper termination of student visas. The lawsuit, filed by Atlanta-based Kuck Baxter Immigration, alleges that ICE wrongly used a federal database to flag students and revoke their legal status without just cause.
Dustin Baxter, an attorney for the plaintiffs, criticized the actions taken by the Trump administration by suggesting it unjustifiably opted to simply terminate SEVIS registrations. "What the Trump administration has decided to do is just terminate SEVIS registration, which they cannot do unless a case falls within a certain category of cases where a person has certain criminal convictions or they failed to attend school. That is not the case for these individuals," he told 11Alive. The students involved hail from various countries and enjoy academic success, including high GPAs and athletic accomplishments, while having no serious criminal charges against them.
Charles Kuck, addressing the court on behalf of the 17 students, emphasised that his clients have not committed any offenses that would justify their removal from the country. "None of this makes sense," Kuck said in a statement obtained by FOX5 Atlanta, "Because none of these students did anything that would make them removable from the United States." The lawsuit includes damning allegations that ICE has unlawfully terminated the legal status of 901 students across over 128 colleges and universities by exploiting the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
The plaintiffs have accused ICE of ending their student visas on the grounds as vague as minor criminal background checks – such as traffic citations or juvenile records, some of which resulted in cases that were dismissed. One plaintiff, Jane Doe 1, had her SEVIS status terminated following a dismissed domestic violence charge, as reported by FOX5 Atlanta. The lawsuit further argues that ICE's actions violated both the Administrative Procedure Act and the Fifth Amendment by not providing prior notice or a chance for the students to adequately respond to the terminations.
Outside of the courtroom, the student community is rallying in response to these visa issues. A protest and walkout were organized at Kennesaw State University on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. to support the impacted international students and advocate for academic freedom and diversity on campus.
