US: Indian students make 50 pc of recent visa cancellation, says report

A recent report by a US-based non-profit lawyers’ organisation has revealed that about 50 per cent of the 327 recent visa revocation cases have been of Indian students.

The report by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), titled 'The Scope of Immigration Enforcement Actions Against International Students', said that among the 327 students whose visas were terminated 50 per cent were from India, followed by students from China (14 per cent). Other affected students were from Nepal, South Korea and Bangladesh, reported NDTV.

Over the past four months, the US State Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are screening data of foreign students including their activism and social media activities.

Also read: US judge blocks Trump govt from deporting Indian student

AI used for screening

There have been allegations that ICE is using artificial intelligence (AI) to conduct the screening which is leading to flawed targeting of foreign students with no involvement in campus protests and no criminal background.

The development comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio in March announced the "Catch and Revoke" program aimed at identifying and screening student visa holders, including monitoring their social media activities for evidence of their participation in and promotion of antisemitism or support for Palestinians and Hamas.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) portal to keep track of international students and exchange program visitors.

Watch: Trump's visa crackdown: 'Affected Indian students should take legal help'

Over 4,000 bear brunt

As per an ICE release, the visa status of 4,736 international students was terminated in the SEVIS system, mostly holding F1 visas. AILA has questioned such moves. Describing them as unprecedented, the organisation has raised several legal questions that may require litigation.

The latest revelation is significant with 50 per cent of the 327 affected students being Optional Practical Training (OPT) holders. Under the OPT, international students with F1 visas are allowed to work in the US for up to one year. But with their visas revoked they are no longer able to work. Texas, California, New York, Michigan, and Arizona are among the most affected states affected by visa revocation.

Since March, the visas of around 1000 international students at US colleges and universities have been cancelled, reported the Associated Press. A large section of these students are from India and China, which together account for more than half the international students at American colleges.

Reacting to the development, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, said, "We are aware that several Indian students have received communication from the US government regarding their F1 visa status. We are looking into the matter. Our Embassy and consulate are in touch with the students."