Roughly 1.1 million international students were in the United States during the 2023-2024 school year. Photo / 123rf
A California federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from terminating the immigration status of foreign students, granting nationwide relief to thousands of students caught in the crosshairs of the administration’s crackdown on alleged antisemitism on college campuses.
US District Judge Jeffrey White of the Northern District of California
wrote that the Trump administration “likely exceeded their authority and acted arbitrarily and capriciously” when officials terminated the legal status of students in a database overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
While many courts have granted relief to individuals suing the administration, the judge’s order effectively bars the federal Government from arresting, incarcerating or transferring students in these cases and all other individuals nationwide while similar cases are still pending.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, international students can still have their status revoked if they provide false information to the Department of Homeland Security or if they are convicted of a violent crime with a prison term of more than a year.
“The relief the Court grants provides Plaintiffs with a measure of stability and certainty that they will be able to continue their studies or their employment without the threat of re-termination hanging over their heads,” White wrote.
