Washington, April 25— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is reversing its recent decision to terminate the legal status of international students, following legal pressure and growing confusion among schools and students.
In federal court hearings held in Oakland and Washington, government attorneys confirmed that ICE is now manually reactivating SEVIS records—used to track international students—for those whose status was recently revoked.
The restoration comes amid legal challenges and judicial intervention across multiple states.
“ICE is developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations,” the agency said in a written statement shared by Brian Green, an attorney representing affected students.
“Until such a policy is issued, the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain Active or shall be re-activated if not currently active and ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination.”
Green submitted the statement to the court and confirmed its content was consistent with the agency’s position in a separate Washington-based case.
According to him, ICE’s policy shift is intended to apply broadly, not only to students who pursued legal recourse.
“This is not limited to just our plaintiffs—it applies to all students in similar situations,” Green said.
The terminations were reportedly linked to data from the FBI-managed National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which ICE used to justify revoking student visas.
Many students received no advance notice, and institutions only became aware of the issue during standard database checks or after hearing about others facing the same problem.
SEVIS—the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System—is the federal database used to track foreign students’ visa compliance.
The sudden terminations sparked widespread concern, with judges across the country issuing temporary orders compelling ICE to restore student records amid reports that terminations had occurred without due process.
Court records and attorney statements indicate ICE has now halted enforcement based on NCIC-related findings until a formal policy is finalized.
The agency has not yet disclosed a timeline for the release of this policy.
The reversal comes as a relief to thousands of students who faced legal uncertainty and potential deportation.
While the full scope of those affected is still unknown, the reactivation of student records marks a significant shift in ICE’s recent approach to student visa enforcement.
