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Rep. Jayapal welcomes reversal of student visa terminations
She called the reversal “overdue,” stressing that the visa terminations had long-term impacts on students and universities across the US.
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Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 25, Apr 2025
- 14:44 EDT
- 147
Pramila Jayapal/ U.S. President Donald Trump looks on next to wounded veterans (not pictured) before signing executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 23, 2025. / File Photo/ REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) welcomed the Trump administration’s decision to restore the lawful status of thousands of international students whose visas were previously terminated.
In an official statement, she called the reversal “overdue,” stressing that the initial visa terminations had long-term impacts on students and universities across the United States. “These students should never have had their status terminated to begin with, and the terminations continue to have very serious consequences for students, universities, and the future of our country to attract talent to study here,” she stated.
Also Read: Trump administration to restore foreign students' legal status, for now
The administration announced on April 25 that it would temporarily restore the legal status of thousands of foreign students in the U.S. whose student visa records had recently been terminated. This decision was revealed during a federal court hearing in Boston related to a case brought by Carrie Zheng, a Boston University student, and is part of a broader legal challenge by international students.
Trump’s termination of thousands of student visas was never about national security, it was about using immigration enforcement as a weapon to restrict due process, stifle political dissent, and attack legal immigration.
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) April 25, 2025
Read my full statement here pic.twitter.com/femRCOzfUf
“Trump's reversal—in the face of multiple lawsuits and enormous pressure—is a clear admission that these actions against students were never about national security,” Jayapal said accusing the administration of using immigration enforcement as “a weapon to restrict due process, stifle political dissent, and attack legal immigration.”
She emphasized the importance of public pressure and legal action, saying, “It is also a clear signal that organizing, lawsuits and public pressure are critically important to challenge the Administration's continuously unlawful actions.”
Ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, Jayapal called for broader reforms in immigration policy. “It’s time to stop weaponizing enforcement and prioritize the humanity, dignity, and legal rights of all people,” she said.
The Trump administration’s original action involved the abrupt removal of more than 4,700 student records from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Students were left vulnerable to deportation, often without prior notice, over disputed allegations of national interest concerns or minor violations.
The terminations triggered lawsuits in several states, leading courts to order the restoration of SEVIS records in many cases. ICE has since announced plans to develop new policy guidance for handling future visa terminations.
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