Trump Crackdown: A Traffic Ticket Can Get International Students Deported?

Something as minor as a traffic violation can now trigger the deportation process for international students in the U.S. As President Donald Trump intensifies his crackdown on immigrants, the number of international students losing their student visas or legal status has been on the rise.

According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), at least 1,024 students from 160 colleges and universities—including elite institutions like Harvard and Stanford—have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated since late March. Some university authorities have advised students to leave the country to avoid the risk of being detained or deported.

Immigration attorneys have reported a surge in the number of students seeking legal advice after losing their legal status. Attorneys have pointed out that the Trump administration has provided no clear explanation for why the visas are being revoked. Some students received only an email informing them of the decision, citing “criminal records.” Ramis Wadood, an attorney from the American Civil Liberties Union, told AP, “None of them were charged or convicted of crimes. Some had either speeding or parking tickets, but one didn’t have any.”

AP reported that officials at many colleges discovered that students’ legal status had been terminated only after checking a database managed by the Department of Homeland Security. Some students have appealed the government’s decision to revoke their visas in court, and in some cases, the courts have granted temporary relief.

Foreign nationals facing removal proceedings are usually issued a notice to appear in immigration court on a specified date, but the affected students have not received any such notices, leaving them uncertain about what steps to take next.

Educational institutions in the U.S. are also alarmed by how students—including Ph.D. scholars—are being notified of their legal status being terminated with little to no warning. Last year, around 1.1 million international students were in the U.S. They are a significant source of revenue for tuition-driven colleges. Since international students are not eligible for federal financial aid, their ability to pay full tuition often plays a role in their admission to American schools.

Students from India and China account for half of all international students in the U.S. Approximately 60,000 to 70,000 students from the Telugu-speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana arrive in the U.S. for studies every year.