An Indian student is one of four international students from Michigan public universities who have filed a federal lawsuit against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that their immigration status was revoked without adequate notice or justification.
According to a report by The Times of India, Chinmay Deore (India), Xiangyun Bu and Qiuyi Yang (China), and Yogesh Joshi (Nepal) are challenging the sudden termination of their F-1 student visas in Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), the US government’s tracking system for nonimmigrant students. They are being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan, which has also filed for an emergency injunction.
In its statement, the ACLU said, "The lawsuit asks the court to reinstate the status of these students so that they will be able to complete their studies and avoid facing the risk of detention and deportation."
The complaint states that the students were not given any valid explanation for the termination and were not involved in legal violations or campus protests.
"None of them has been charged with, let alone convicted of, any crime in the US. None has violated any immigration law. Nor have they been active in on-campus protests regarding any political issue,” the statement noted.
The lawsuit lists Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons, and ICE Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch as defendants, alleging that the visa terminations were triggered by minor or lawful encounters with law enforcement — such as traffic citations or canceled entry requests.
“DHS did not provide the students or their schools any meaningful explanation for terminating their F-1 student status,” the lawsuit stated.
This case adds to a growing wave of legal challenges against immigration enforcement measures introduced during the Trump administration, which continue to affect international students. Similar suits have been filed in other states, including New Hampshire, Indiana, and California.
“These cruel and illegal government actions have real-life consequences,” said Ramis Wadood, staff attorney at the ACLU of Michigan. “Status terminations don't just disrupt the lives of the students being targeted; the government's actions will inevitably deter future international scholars from choosing Michigan and the US as their academic destination.”
