TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump stands in the presidential box as he tours the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on March 17, 2025. Trump was appointed chairman of the Kennedy Center on February 12, 2025, as a new board of trustees loyal to the US president brought his aggressive rightwing, anti-"woke" stamp to Washington's premier arts venue. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Washington D.C. – On Friday, the Trump administration announced it would halt the cancellation of more than 1,500 student visas held by international students, following a wave of lawsuits and intense public outcry.
During a court hearing in Washington, Joseph F. Carilli, a Justice Department attorney, said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had begun developing a new system for reviewing and terminating student visas. Carilli stated that until that system is complete, the government will pause any further revocations or enforcement actions.
The announcement marks a significant shift in policy after weeks of turmoil among international students. Many were notified out of the blue that the U.S. government was canceling their visas. In some cases, the cancellations cited minor traffic violations or other small infractions. In others, no reason was given at all, sparking confusion and fear.
The uncertainty caused widespread panic across U.S. campuses. Hundreds of international students — particularly from India and China — faced the sudden prospect of deportation. Several students, including a graduate student at Cornell University, left the country voluntarily, abandoning their education and legal appeals.
The Trump administration’s initial move in March to revoke student visas drew additional scrutiny when some of the affected students had participated in campus demonstrations protesting Israel during the war in Gaza. Federal judges had intervened in several cases, halting deportations and raising constitutional concerns.
In Friday’s hearing, Carilli said the government was ready to implement the revised policy across other pending lawsuits. That development could provide temporary relief to students who sued for the right to remain in the U.S. at least through the spring graduation season.
The policy retreat comes amid growing legal pressure, including a possible class-action lawsuit emerging in New England, to prevent further mass revocations of student visas without due process.
Despite the announcement, ICE has not released a formal public statement or clarified how the revised system will work, leaving many students and universities still in limbo.
Advocates and legal experts say the sudden visa cancellations have already caused lasting harm, upending educational careers and damaging trust between international students and U.S. institutions.
For now, international students across the country are cautiously hopeful that the administration’s course correction will allow them to complete their degrees without further fear of removal.
