Indian and Chinese students unite to sue the Trump administration over F-1 visa revocations

In a landmark legal challenge with potentially far-reaching implications, three Indian students and two Chinese students have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging the unlawful revocation of their F-1 visa status.

The case, spearheaded by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), accuses the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and immigration officials of “unilateral and unlawful termination” of hundreds of international student visas — a move that, according to the lawsuit, has triggered financial devastation, academic disruption, and the looming threat of deportation.

The Heart of the Lawsuit

The F-1 visa revocation crisis has now erupted into a courtroom battle, with the plaintiffs contending that their legal student status was stripped without due notice or process. The lawsuit claims that the students maintained full compliance with visa conditions, including academic progress, abstaining from unauthorized work, and maintaining clean criminal records. Despite their compliance, the government allegedly canceled their visas without individual review, plunging them into legal limbo.

“These students are not lawbreakers,” the ACLU emphasized in a public statement. “They are scholars, researchers, and future professionals who came to the United States with a vision of growth, learning, and contribution.”

Meet the Indian Students Behind the Legal Challenge

Among the five plaintiffs, three hail from India: Linkhith Babu Gorrela, Thanuj Kumar Gummadavelli, and Manikanta Pasula.

Gorrela, whose graduation was scheduled for May 20, expressed deep concern that his degree and participation in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme are now out of reach due to the F-1 visa revocation crisis.

Gummadavelli and Pasula were each in the final semester of their Master’s programs. Now, their academic futures hang in balance, dependent on a court’s decision to reinstate their legal student status.

“This is not just about us,” said Gummadavelli in a personal statement included in the petition. “It’s about hundreds of international students like us who are being punished for no fault of their own.”

Chinese Students’ Struggles Mirror the Pain

Chinese plaintiffs Hangrui Zhang and Haoyang An voiced similar distress. Zhang lost his research assistantship — his only means of livelihood — when his visa was canceled. An, who has already invested over $329,000 in U.S. education, now faces the brutal prospect of abandoning his Master’s degree just months before completion.

Their stories echo the larger problem: a system where international students are vulnerable to abrupt policy shifts, often with life-changing consequences.

Government Response and a Stern Warning

In response to the lawsuit, U.S. State Department spokesperson Margaret McLeod defended the administration’s position. In a virtual press briefing, McLeod stated, “Those who violate the law will face the consequences.” She reaffirmed that the Trump administration was committed to strictly enforcing immigration policies under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

However, legal experts and education advocates argue that the government’s actions may have gone too far — applying sweeping decisions without individualized assessment or opportunity for appeal.

A Glimmer of Hope in Wisconsin

Amid the legal firestorm, a separate federal court decision offered a sliver of hope. On April 16, a U.S. judge temporarily blocked the deportation of 21-year-old Krish Lal Isserdasani, an Indian undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The court acknowledged that Isserdasani had maintained full-time enrollment and strong academic standing, with just weeks left until graduation.

His case may become a crucial precedent for others fighting the F-1 visa revocation crisis, illustrating that legal redress is possible even amid tightening immigration enforcement.

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