As of April 25, the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System status of four international students at the University of Tennessee has been restored, according to Kerry Gardner, UT’s director of Media and Internal Relations.
The Justice Department announced that it was reversing its position in an April 25 filing in a United States District Court in Massachusetts. Following this, some students were notified suddenly that their SEVIS status had been restored.
Mark Sauter, an assistant U.S. attorney in Massachusetts, submitted a document stating that the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement was developing a policy to terminate records in the SEVIS. Until that system is created, the registrations will remain active or be reactivated, according to USA TODAY.
“International Student and Scholar Services is working with those students on the next steps and continuing to monitor this developing situation,” Gardner told the Beacon.
Still, five other international students and community members at UT had not had their SEVIS statuses restored until April 28, when UT was notified that all nine international sediments’ who had their SEVIS status revoked had been restored.
This move comes a few weeks after the Trump administration began revoking the visas of thousands of international students across the country, seemingly targeting those who’ve participated in political activism or have a criminal record.
Following an investigation conducted by the University of Tennessee on April 4, it was revealed that the SEVIS status of four international students had been revoked. On April 11, five more were added to that list.
UT found that two students had their statuses changed due to a criminal record. One student is on judicial diversion for a property crime, and another has been charged with driving under the influence.
The details for the remaining seven have not been shared.
The Center for Global Engagement and International Student and Scholar Services office assists international students in obtaining visas and maintaining active SEVIS status.
The names of these students are omitted for privacy reasons.
Editor’s Note: this story was updated to reflect that all nine international students who had had their SEVIS statuses changed have been restored.
