ACLU sues DHS over unlawful visa cancellations as deportation threat looms

A lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and immigration officials on behalf of four detained students after their immigration status was terminated “unlawfully”. This comes as a threat to multiple international students living in the US for their studies.

"What we can tell you is that the department revokes visas every day to secure our borders and to keep our community safe," explained a DHS spokesperson, identified only as Bruce.

On April 4, 2025, Chinmay Deore, a 21-year-old Indian student studying at Wayne State University, Detroit, was informed that his F-1 student status in the SEVIS database had been terminated, for “failing to maintain status”, on grounds of being identified in criminal records checks and/or for his VISA being revoked. No further details were provided, and the Department of State did not even notify Mr. Deore about revoking his visa.

 

Who is Chinmay Deore?

Chinmay Deore first flew into the US along with his family in 2004, under the H-4 visa. After a brief exit in 2008, they returned to the US in 2014, after which he completed his high school in Michigan and later flew to the US on August 2021, planning to get a Computer Science degree at Wayne State University and later secure a job via the Optional Practical Training (OPT) route.

He had applied to transition to the F-1 student status early in 2022. Chinmay had not been a part of any on-campus protests and was found to have no history of criminal activity, except minor offences, such as having a speeding ticket and a parking ticket, which he promptly paid.

Lawsuit

The lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) at the court asks to “reinstate the status of these students so that they can complete their studies and avoid facing the risk of detention and deportation”.

Three other students who also faced visa issues were Mr. Xiangyun, Quiyi, and Mr. Joshi. Mr. Xiangyun, hailing from China and pursuing an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan, joined the course in August 2023. Quiyi from China, a Ph.D. student studying under the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan, also joined in August 2023. Mr. Joshi from Nepal, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in Anatomy and Cell Biology at Wayne State University joined in 2021, and currently lives with his wife and an 8-month-old.

Impact

These terminations have put the students' education, research, and job prospects at risk. Chinmay, for example, will neither be eligible to obtain employment under the OPT, nor will he be able to transfer his F-1 status to another university for a master’s degree. He also faces a possible separation from his family back in Canton. The lawsuit also states that he lost out on income that he relied on for support. Some students are also being forcibly deported, such as Krish Lal Isserdasani, another Indian student studying at the University of Wisconsin. The courts have intervened to temporarily halt the process. 

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