The U.S. Department of Justice reinstated the visas of 21 University of Utah international students, the university announced Monday. One student’s visa remains revoked.
The 22 international students at the U were among over a thousand others whose visas were purged from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS, the federal database that tracks visa holders in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The DHS stated the students’ visas were revoked for “failure to maintain nonimmigrant status.” The security department also cited criminal record checks as a reason for many of the revocations.
The visa reinstatements are part of a policy reversal by the Trump administration. The New York Times reported that the administration announced the move to restore student visas nationwide during court proceedings in Washington last week. However, the article noted that the reinstatement may be temporary, as the administration plans to develop a new system for monitoring and terminating student visas.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, an estimated 50 international students had their visas revoked in universities and colleges throughout Utah. Among them were three students at Southern Utah University, five at Utah Tech University and three at Weber State University, all of whom had their visas reinstated last Friday. The Tribune added that one international student attending Salt Lake Community College has left the country.
On April 18, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah sued the DHS over its decision to cancel the students’ visas. The suit was filed on behalf of nine anonymous international students attending universities across Utah, including the U. The legal complaint alleges the students’ right to due process, claiming the DHS failed to give the plaintiffs a chance to challenge the visa terminations.
ACLU Utah’s lawsuit is one among over 70 other lawsuits filed in 21 states. In at least 45 of those cases, judges issued temporary restraining orders, according to the Guardian.
