(Georgia Recorder) — Five international college students and two recent graduates studying in Georgia have filed suit against the administration of President Donald Trump after attorneys say the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unlawfully terminated the immigration records allowing them to keep studying in the United States.
Many of the students believe the actions were taken against them because of past run-ins with law enforcement, mostly over traffic citations, some of which were ultimately dropped, according to the lawsuit.
Unless the court puts a temporary block on the government while the case moves forward, the students could be subject to arrest, detention and deportation in addition to loss of academic standing and degrees.
The termination of the students’ SEVIS, or Student and Exchange Visitor Program, records comes as the Trump administration cracks down on immigration, targeting student visa holders in the country legally for “self-deportation.”
“Over the past week, visa revocations and SEVIS terminations have shaken campuses across the country and Georgia,” the lawsuit reads.
“ICE has created chaos as schools have attempted to understand what is happening and do their best to inform and advise students.”
The lawsuit names Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons as defendants.
The Georgia students, who came to the U.S. from Colombia, China and India, studied at schools including Kennesaw State University, Georgia Tech, Emory University and the University of Georgia. They filed suit along with 10 other students from various other universities, including Duke University, North Carolina State University, and Cornell University, all under the name Jane or John Doe, citing fear of retaliation from the administration.
The students facing deportation include doctoral students, recent graduates completing optional post-graduate work and a student-athlete with a 4.0 GPA, according to the lawsuit.
One of the students was arrested and charged with domestic violence in November, but the case was dismissed for lack of evidence in February, according to the lawsuit. Other cases involved expired license plates or tags or speeding. Another involved a DUI charge that was reduced to reckless driving. One Chinese national who studied electrical and electronics engineering said she was never arrested or cited for any traffic violations.
The attorneys for the students and alumni argue that the student’s alleged actions do not meet the legal threshold for revoking their SEVIS registration and that the government’s actions violate their due process protections under the Fifth Amendment.
