May 18, 2025

Indian PhD student Priya Saxena, who recently graduated in chemical and biological engineering from a university in South Dakota, faced deportation after her F-1 student visa was revoked by the Trump administration over a minor traffic violation. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unexpectedly terminated her visa, causing her Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) record to be deleted. This action threatened her ability to graduate on May 10. However, Saxena took legal action against the administration, leading to a temporary restraining order that permitted her to complete her studies and graduate. The court documents revealed that the visa revocation was based on a minor traffic violation in 2021, which was not a deportable offense under immigration law. Despite the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration that targeted international students across the US, Saxena's attorney emphasized that minor infractions like hers should not lead to deportation. Following a federal court's preliminary injunction, Saxena is now protected from arrest and detention by DHS without court approval, allowing her to stay in the country. The court deemed DHS's actions as potentially unlawful and causing irreparable harm to Saxena. The administration's measures have affected thousands of international students, with visa and SEVIS removals over minor issues or activism. The administration's scrutiny involving scanning the names of over a million international students for criminal records resulted in the revocation of approximately 3,000 visas.

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Tags: Immigration, Visa, Student, Deportation, Trump administration,