Traffic tickets now grounds for deportation as Trump’s ICE expands authority to revoke student visas

A recent change in U.S. government policy has dramatically changed the rules for international students, leading to the loss of legal status for thousands. The new policy, enforced by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), gives the agency more power to cancel student visas, including minor violations that were not previously considered reasons for deportation.

While we are still waiting to see if these will be pushed through, what we know is that the students were merely listed on the FBI database, as reported by ABC News. You can end up on here for many reasons, including just being missing at one point. My fingerprints were entered when I became a security guard and again when I became a law enforcement officer, so even getting a job is enough to be entered.

The policy change became known after several international students filed lawsuits after their legal status was suddenly canceled with little explanation. Around 6,400 students were impacted, many of whom did not know why their status was terminated. Some students hid because they feared deportation, while others left the country, giving up their education.

We’re still waiting on confirmation for the future

The new rules greatly expand the reasons for canceling legal status, going beyond previous limits. Before, losing a visa did not automatically mean a student had to leave the country; they could stay to finish their studies, though they could not return if they traveled abroad. Now, losing a visa directly leads to deportation. Even small offenses, like traffic tickets, can now be used as reasons to end a student’s legal status.

To find students who might face deportation, the government checked the names of student visa holders against the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). This FBI database includes arrest records, even if no charges were filed or charges were later dropped.

This search produced a list of about 6,400 students whose names appeared in the NCIC database. One case mentioned in court involved a student who was charged with reckless driving in 2018, but the charge was later dismissed. Even so, this record caused his student status to be canceled.

Another troubling part of this process was how quickly the terminations happened. In one example, a list of 734 students flagged by the NCIC was sent to a Homeland Security official, who ordered all of them to lose their status within 24 hours. This fast decision suggested that officials did not review each student’s case individually, raising concerns about fairness and proper legal procedures.

A judge handling one of the related cases expressed worry about the government’s actions, pointing out the “complete lack of concern for individuals who have come into this country.” The judge stressed that this policy could be abused and that cases were not being reviewed properly. Although the government has since restored the legal status of affected students while it conducts a deeper review, the situation has raised serious questions about whether students were treated fairly.

The policy change caused major confusion for colleges and universities. Schools struggled to react when their international students unexpectedly lost their legal status. In some cases, colleges had to tell students to stop studying and working immediately, warning them they could be deported.