In a decision widely welcomed by educators and campaigners, a federal court last week denied the US government’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the “unlawful” mass termination of SEVIS records and student visas in spring 2025.
“The government’s actions created chaos and fear for international students and profound disruption for colleges and universities,” said Miriam Feldblum, CEO of Presidents’ Alliance – one of the bodies that filed the lawsuit in April 2025.
She called the ruling an “important step” toward accountability and ensuring government agencies comply with the law, as well as protecting students from future sweeping actions creating widespread disruption on US campuses.
“Left unchecked, the current administration’s actions will further undermine higher education’s ability to recruit and retain international students and scholars,” added Feldblum, highlighting their contributions to the US economy and local communities.
The lawsuit challenges the actions of the department of state (DOS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), relating to the mass termination of student visas which impacted over 2,000 international students.
It questions the government’s policy of revoking the visas of students who appeared in a criminal database, without necessarily having been charged with a crime, and without individualised assessment.
Additionally, it challenges the subsequent termination of SEVIS records based on the revocations, with many students unaware they had been stripped of their legal status.
Massachusetts judge Patti Saris rejected the administration’s arguments that the case should be dismissed, finding the plaintiffs – the Presidents’ Alliance and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM) – have standing to sue.
The court said the plaintiffs’ claims remained valid despite the government’s subsequent reactivation of SEVIS records, noting that the key issue of the mass terminations remained unresolved.
Responding to the dismissal, a state department spokesperson told The PIE News that a visa “is a privilege, not a right”.
“The United States is under no obligation to admit or suffer the presence of individuals who subvert our laws and deny our citizens their Constitutional rights,” they said.
The government should not be able to unlawfully terminate international students’ visa and SEVIS records and then shield its unlawful policies from judicial review
David Zimmer, Zimmer, Citron & Clarke LLP
Rob McCarron, president of AICUM, welcomed the court’s decision, reaffirming his goal of ensuring that any changes to the SEVIS program occurred in full compliance with the law.
“More than than 80,000 international students travel to Massachusetts to pursue higher education; their contributions to our campuses and broader communities are immense,” he said.
“Stability, clarity and lawful processes are essential for students and institutions alike.”
Elsewhere, lawyers have hailed the decision an important step towards holding the government accountable, emphasising the chaos caused last year by the mass revocations, targeting some students for legal infractions such as minor traffic offences.
“The court appropriately recognised that the government should not be able to unlawfully terminate international students’ visa and SEVIS records and then shield its unlawful policies from judicial review,” commented Zimmer, Citron & Clarke immigration partner David Zimmer.
The case is one of various lawsuits brought by the sector against the Trump administration, which has unleashed a cascade of attacks on international students as part of its broader anti-immigration crackdown.
Feldblum has previously advocated for the urgent need for sector mobilisation in the face of threats to international students and universities’ funding and autonomy. At a conference last year, she doubled down on the power of litigation and the need to challenge the administration’s actions in the courts – be it through as a co-plaintiff, joining an amicus brief or providing data.
The court decision follows the release of new state department data which revealed a 36% year-on-year drop in study visa issuance last summer, caused primarily by policy volatility including last year’s visa interview freeze and mass visa revocations.
