Hundreds of F1 Visa Students Sue US State Department Over Revoked Visas

Lawsuit Against the US State Department by F1 Students

More than 200 international students are suing the US State Department for the F1 visa revocation by the Trump administration. Students believed that the actions taken by the US government were discriminatory and against existing immigration laws. They demand that the F1 visas be reinstated right away or they receive new ones without any penalties. Immigration attorneys representing 217 students have recently filed two separate federal lawsuits.

• The first lawsuit was in August by Steven Brown and Brad Banias. They represented 59 students.

• The second lawsuit was in September by IMMpact Litigation. This is an immigration law firm that represented 158 students.

Both lawsuits stated that the visa revocations occurred after automatic SEVIS terminations. The SEVIS termination is not permitted by the US courts, hence they are unlawful. Moreover, the recent court testimony revealed that ICE has gone through the names of 1.3 million international students using federal criminal databases. These students were listed under the visa revoked list.

Impact of F1 Visa Revocation on International Students

Due to the sudden visa revocation, many students faced challenges. The lawyers representing these students claim that the mass revocations have led to emotional distress, financial hardships, and interruptions in education. Especially after investing huge amounts of money in US universities, students were shocked and left with no option. This lawsuit is about the frustration among students as they experienced that the F1 visa process is unclear, not transparent and unlawful. The legal experts estimate it could take six months to a year or even more to fully conclude the lawsuit, as it is a complicated process. Moreover currently, due to the ongoing H1B visa fee hike and proposals to end OPT in USA, the US government is also facing a shutdown.

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