All 27 University of Wisconsin-Madison affiliates who previously had their visas terminated now have them restored following a surprise reversal by the Trump Administration Friday, UW-Madison announced Monday.
“I’m relieved and grateful that these records terminations have been reversed,” said Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin. “This situation was deeply troubling, upended lives and created both fear and harm.”
Neither UW-Madison, nor the affected students, were given an explanation for the terminations or the records being restored, the statement said. The Trump administration restored more than 1,500 student visas it had previously revoked on Friday.
The Trump administration’s announcement to restore these visas followed the cancellation of more than 1,500 visas across the country since President Donald Trump took office in January, including 27 international student visas and alumni visa employment extensions at UW-Madison, and hundreds of lawsuits filed by international students fearing deportation and widespread criticism.
UW-Madison student Krish Lal Isserdasani had his student visa terminated earlier this month after a disorderly conduct arrest was flagged on his record. Prosecutors declined to press charges, however, and a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting him.
International UW-Madison student Yue Yang was also granted protection from visa revocation by a federal judge Wednesday, who said the only infraction he appeared to have committed was a speeding ticket. Three other UW-Madison students sued the Trump administration Wednesday alleging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unfairly revoked their student visas, saying they have no criminal records or charges aside from minor traffic violations.
Joseph Carilli, a Justice Department lawyer, indicated U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will soon introduce a new “framework” policy for visa review and termination, but for now, students will not have their visas terminated “solely based on” flagged misdemeanors, dismissed cases and other minor offenses in criminal history checks.
An attorney for the Justice Department said Friday that ICE “maintains the authority” to terminate student visas for other reasons, including if a student “fails to maintain his or her nonimmigrant status after the record is reactivated or engages in other unlawful activity that would render him or her removable from the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act.”
The New York Times reports, however, a senior DHS official said students who have had their legal status restored may still have it terminated in the future, alongside their visas.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated at 4 p.m. Friday, April 25 to include additional information on the status of UW-Madison student visas from a university spokesperson.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29 to reflect that all 27 revoked visas have now been restored.
This is a developing story.
Annika Bereny is a Senior Staff Writer and the former Special Pages Editor for The Daily Cardinal. She is a History and Journalism major and has written in-depth campus news, specializing in protest policy, free speech and historical analysis. She has also written for state and city news. Follow her on Twitter at @annikabereny.
Francesca Pica is the editor-in-chief for The Daily Cardinal. She previously served as the city news editor. She has covered multiple municipal elections, state politics and is a leading reporter on Madison labor issues. She served as an intern for The Capital Times, currently serves as a WisPolitics intern and will also intern with the Wisconsin State Journal this summer.
Ella Hanley is the college news editor for The Daily Cardinal and former associate news editor. She is a fourth-year journalism and criminal justice student and has written breaking, city, state and campus news. Follow her on Twitter at @ellamhanley.
