DETROIT, MI – Ann Mullen from the ACLU of Michigan said the group last week filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on the behalf of four international students attending Michigan universities.
All four students had had their F-1 visas terminated without reason and notice, Mullen writes.
In their brief, the ACLU of Michigan appealed to the court to reinstate the students’ immigration statuses so they could finish their studies without facing the risk of deportation.
These students are hardly the only ones affected, ACLU writes, noting the Trump administration has revoked the visas of hundreds of students, and “is the latest in a series of executive actions targeting immigrants and academic institutions.”
Loren Khogali, executive director of the ACLU of Michigan, agrees that these executive actions are not only unlawful, but a violation of constitutional rights, charging, “This administration continues to act as if the most basic constitutional requirements don’t apply to them.”
ACLU explains the lawsuit states the revocation is unlawful for two primary reasons: the government did not provide notice, and did not have legal grounds to terminate the visas.
The government violated the students’ right to due process, by which advanced notice must be given in the case of revocation, said the ACLU Michigan, adding the visas were revoked suddenly, and thus did not allow the students to respond or challenge their changed status.
The lawsuit also states the government must have specific legal grounds to terminate a student’s immigration status, reports the ACLU, maintaining there would be grounds for termination if a student was convicted of a violent crime, engaged in unauthorized employment, or failed to take full courses of study.
However, none of the criteria for legal grounds was fulfilled by the four plaintiffs represented by the ACLU of Michigan, noted the filing, making it clear the students were terminated without reason or notice.
International students form a unique community on the college campus, the Michigan ACLU insists, noting they “provide critical perspectives and contributions to our academic communities, and through their spending, make a major contribution to our economy,” said Khogal.
“No administration should be allowed to circumvent the law to unilaterally strip students of their status, disrupt their studies, and put them at risk of deportation.” – Ramis Wadood, staff attorney at the ACLU of Michigan
Ramis Wadood, staff attorney at the ACLU of Michigan, concludes these actions show how much power the Trump administration holds, stating, “No administration should be allowed to circumvent the law to unilaterally strip students of their status, disrupt their studies, and put them at risk of deportation.”
