ATLANTA, Ga. — A federal judge in Atlanta has intervened on behalf of 133 international students, halting their deportation and allowing them to continue their studies in the United States temporarily. The decision, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Victoria Calvert, comes amid a broader scrutiny of visa regulations affecting students from abroad.
In her ruling late on Friday, Judge Calvert ordered a temporary restraining order which not only stops the deportations but also mandates that agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security restore the students’ statuses in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS). This program is a critical tool for tracking and managing nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors in the U.S.
The urgency of this decision is underscored by the fact that the restraining order is set to expire on May 2, with a follow-up hearing slated for the upcoming Thursday.
Legal challenges arose after it was revealed that the visas of these students were revoked under dubious circumstances. The complaint that brought this issue to court was filed in the Northern District of Georgia division of the United States District Court. Notably, 26 of these students have connections to the state of Georgia.
According to Charles Kuck, a partner at the Kuck Baxter law firm based in Sandy Springs, the reasons cited for the visa revocations were minor infractions such as running red lights or failing to pay tickets. Kuck argues that these are not grounds for deportation. He further emphasized at a press conference that many of the affected students have no criminal convictions, and some have absolutely no criminal history.
The broader context of this issue includes a crackdown on immigration, which has led to the revocation of visas for over 1,000 international students and recent graduates across the United States.
The situation has sparked a significant public response, including nearly a hundred people protesting outside an Atlanta ICE office. Additionally, multiple legal proceedings and public demonstrations at local universities like Emory University highlight the community’s pushback against what they see as unfair treatment of international students.
This judicial intervention by Judge Calvert marks a critical moment for these students, as well as for the broader international student community watching closely from both within and outside the United States.
The next steps in this legal battle could have far-reaching implications not only for the students directly involved but also for the policies governing international student visas in the U.S.
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