On May 14, 2025, a federal judge in California issued an injunction in a case seeking nationwide relief for F-1 students. The judge explained there was more than enough evidence to establish the government’s recent policy change that caused irreparable harm to some F-1 students; however, the plaintiffs call for nationwide relief were unconvincing.
The lawsuit is the result of the State Department and Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) change in policy regarding F-1 student visas. In early April 2025, the departments terminated the F-1 visas and Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records of thousands of international students. A few weeks later, several of the affected students suddenly had their visa status restored. Many were not given a reason for their status being revoked, and some were not even notified about it.
While there was initially no explanation as to why these terminations occurred, the DHS later admitted that it used an FBI-ran database to determine their targets. Critics of the operation pointed out the inaccuracies of the database due to information not being up to date. It’s currently unknown if all the students who had their status and records restored were targeted due to inaccurate information.
The government attorney argued implementing nationwide relief wasn’t necessary, given the suing students’ visas and records were retroactively restored. The plaintiff attorney argued that not implementing nationwide relief ignores the clear harm done to F-1 visa students, and that nothing is currently stopping the Trump administration from reissuing terminations for F-1 visas or SEVIS data.
As always, ILBSG actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws. In an ever-evolving immigration policy landscape, it’s particularly critical.
