F-1 visa crackdown: Embassy and consulate in touch with students in US, says India amid deportation fear

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that it is aware of several Indian students receiving communication from the US government regarding the F-1 visa status. 

Speaking at a press briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the MEA is looking into the matter and that the embassy and consulates are in touch with the students to provide support.

“We are aware that several Indian students have received communication from the US government regarding their F-1 visa status. We are looking into the matter. Our Embassy and consulate are in touch with the students,” Jaiswal said. 

Indian student sues Trump administration

Chinmay Deore, an Indian student studying in the United States, along with three other foreign students, filed a lawsuit against their possible deportation on Friday, a PTI report said.

Along with Deore, China's Xiangyun Bu and Qiuyi Yang, and Nepal's Yogesh Joshi filed the lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and immigration officials.

The students, who are studying at Michigan public universities, took the legal route after their immigration status was terminated ‘unlawfully’.

They said that their student immigration status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) was illegally terminated "without sufficient notice and explanation".

The actions by the federal government to terminate students' legal status have left hundreds of scholars at risk of detention and deportation. Their schools range from private universities like Harvard and Stanford to large public institutions like the University of Maryland and Ohio State University to some small liberal arts colleges.

At least 901 students at 128 colleges and universities have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated since mid-March, according to an Associated Press review of university statements and correspondence with school officials.

US judge blocks Indian student's deportation

A US federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting a 21-year-old undergraduate Indian whose student visa was cancelled, on April 16.

Krish Lal Isserdasani has been pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an F-1 student visa since 2021.

Court documents said that “having maintained full-time enrollment and good academic standing, Isserdasani is now in the final semester of his senior year with less than 30 days remaining until an expected graduation on May 10, 2025," PTI reported.

The court papers stated that Isserdasani received no communication from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the university, or the State Department regarding any revocation of his visa.

It added that as a result of the termination, Isserdasani will be prevented from completing his degree and applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT) to gain work experience as authorised by his F-1 student visa.

Indian students in the US

Since January, America has deported a total of 682 Indians. While a majority of them entered the country illegally, the US government has reportedly revoked a number of student visas, some of them for staging a protest on the campus against Israel.

Reportedly, dozens of Indian students in the US have been ordered to self-deport after their F-1 student visas were revoked due to minor criminal offences.

The Designate School Officials (DSOs) at various schools have informed these students about their abrupt revocation via email, saying that their records in the SEVIS have been terminated. This means that their Form I-20, Employment Authorization Document (EAD), and their legal presence in the US is now invalid.

The offences range from traffic violations like speeding and driving without a licensed supervisor on a learner’s permit, and failing to stop at red light, to more serious but resolved cases of shoplifting and alcohol-related charges.

Indian student self-deports, another detained

Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian scholar, self-deported after her visa was revoked in March this year. According to Department of Homeland Security, the Indian citizen self-deported after participating in pro-Palestinian protests at United States' Columbia University.

Badar Khan Suri, an Indian researcher pursuing conflict studies at Georgetown University, was detained on March 17 after his visa was revoked based on allegations of antisemitic speech and ties to Hamas. Suri denied the claims, stating he’s being targeted due to his wife’s Palestinian background.

He is reportedly being held at an immigration detention center in Louisiana.

Why is US asking students to self-deport

International students in the United States are being asked to self-deport, in a communication from the country's Department of State (DOS) owing to their campus activism.

The crackdown is based on social media reviews being conducted by the US DOS. Even new student applications, be it for an F (academic study visa), M (vocational study visa) or J (exchange visa) will come under such social media scrutiny. Applicants will be denied the opportunity to study in the United States.

How do student visas work?

Students in other countries must meet a series of requirements to obtain a student visa, usually an F-1. After gaining admission to a school in the US, students go through an application and interview process at a US embassy or consulate abroad.

Students on an F-1 visa must show they have enough financial support for their course of study in the US. They have to remain in good standing with their academic program and are generally limited in their ability to work off-campus during their academic program.

Entry visas are managed by the State Department. Once they're in the US, international students’ legal status is overseen by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program under the Department of Homeland Security.

(With inputs from PTI and AP)