New Delhi: Dozens of Indian students have been ordered by authorities in the US to self-deport for minor criminal offences – including traffic violations – in the past, many of which were previously resolved. According to The Times of India, F-1 visas of students were abruptly revoked and they were asked to leave the country.
This is a follow up of deportation emails sent to several students since March for alleged ‘campus-activities’. Experts believe that this is part of a larger effort to get non-Americans to leave the US.
According to TOI, this latest action has affected students across universities in Missouri, Texas, and Nebraska. The mentioned offences range from over-speeding and traffic violations to shoplifting and alcohol-related charges. Designated School Officials (DSOs) have sent emails informing students that their SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records have been terminated, rendering their Form I-20, Employment Authorization Document (EAD), and legal stay in the US invalid.
According to an immigration lawyer, this seems to be an effort to look for excuses to deport people from the US. The emails sent to the students state: “If your visa has been revoked, this means that the F-1 visa in your passport is no longer valid. If you are in the US, you may need to make plans for immediate departure.”
TOI has quoted Texas-based attorney Chand Paravathneni, currently handling around 30 similar cases, as saying that he has been overwhelmed with calls from Indian students. “We have hardly seen anyone’s SEVIS being revoked for petty offences like failing to stop at a red light or driving with a learner’s permit and no licensed driver in the car,” he is quoted as saying.
Several affected students have claimed that their violations are old and already resolved through legal channels. The newspaper has quoted a student from Texas as saying that he was arrested for shoplifting items worth US$ 144 from Walmart and that the case was dismissed due to his clean academic record and cooperation. “I followed all the instructions. Why am I being punished again?” the student asked.
Experts say that this is the first time they are witnessing the revocation of SEVIS records. They have asked students to consult immigration lawyers as soon as they receive the notices, to try and get the decisions reversed.
