Concerns and uncertainty have escalated in the international education community since March 2025, when the Trump administration began initiating detention, visa revocations, and SEVIS record terminations of approximately 1,400 international students and scholars across the country, according to NAFSA's field reports. Since these enforcement actions began, confusion has reigned surrounding the administration's visa termination process for international students, and universities have struggled to advise their international students amid the conflicting guidance.
In a Washington, D.C., court hearing last week, Judge Ana Reyes criticized government attorneys for creating a "Kafkaesque" situation where no one—including experienced immigration lawyers, the court, or even government counsel—could determine whether affected students remain legally in the country, according to reporting in Newsweek.
The controversy centers on SEVIS record terminations, which DHS officials had recently claimed in court filings don't automatically revoke immigration status, contradicting earlier communications to students. Judge Reyes has ordered a DHS official to testify about these inconsistent positions.
For a comprehensive update on these ongoing enforcement actions and resources for institutions supporting affected students, read NAFSA's latest blog post, in which NAFSA Senior Impact Officer Joann Ng Hartmann provides detailed data on the scope and impact of the SEVIS terminations and visa revocations.
