In recent months, a growing number of international students across the United States have found themselves plunged into legal uncertainty due to sudden terminations of their SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records. These abrupt cancellations, often issued without prior notice or clear explanation, have led to severe consequences, including potential deportation, loss of legal status, and interrupted academic careers. The SEVIS database, maintained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is designed to track international students and ensure compliance with visa requirements. When a student’s SEVIS record is terminated, it effectively strips them of their legal right to stay in the country. In theory, terminations occur for valid reasons—such as falling below a full course load, unauthorized employment, or failure to maintain contact with a Designated School Official (DSO). However, a disturbing pattern has emerged: terminations are increasingly occurring due to administrative errors, miscommunication, or lack of transparency from universities and DSOs. For affected students, the consequences are immediate and severe. A terminated SEVIS record means the student is out of status and must either leave the country within a narrow window—usually 15 days—or risk accruing unlawful presence, which can result in long-term bans from reentering the U.S. “I was in the middle of my final semester when I received an email saying my SEVIS was terminated,” said Priya Malhotra, a graduate student from India. “There was no explanation, no warning. I was told I had to leave immediately. I felt like a criminal for something I didn’t even understand.” Many students report being caught off guard by these terminations, often receiving little to no communication from their schools prior to the action. Some only learn of the change when attempting to travel, apply for internships, or renew their visas. Others find out through automated SEVIS alerts, prompting frantic emails and calls to their university’s international office—many of which are under-resourced and overwhelmed.
Experts point to several systemic issues behind the growing crisis. First, the increasing digitization and automation of immigration oversight means that small discrepancies—such as delayed enrollment confirmation or incorrect addresses—can trigger SEVIS flags. Second, the lack of uniform training and high turnover among DSOs results in inconsistent interpretations of immigration rules. Lastly, the heightened scrutiny of foreign students under evolving immigration policies has made the system less forgiving, with fewer avenues for appeal or resolution. The emotional toll is significant. “I had built a life here,” said Marco Liu, a Chinese undergraduate student whose SEVIS was terminated due to an unpaid library fine that delayed his registration. “I paid tuition, I followed the rules, and suddenly I was told to leave. My dreams of graduating from an American university were crushed overnight.” Advocacy groups and legal experts are calling for urgent reforms. These include requiring universities to provide written notice and an opportunity to respond before terminating a student’s SEVIS record, standardizing DSO training nationwide, and improving ICE’s transparency and accountability mechanisms. Some are also urging Congress to consider legislative protections that would allow students a grace period to appeal or rectify issues without facing immediate removal. In the meantime, students caught in the web of SEVIS terminations are left scrambling for solutions—applying for reinstatement, seeking legal counsel, or reluctantly booking flights home. For many, the experience is not only a bureaucratic nightmare but a devastating blow to their academic and personal aspirations. The U.S. higher education system has long depended on the contributions—academic, cultural, and financial—of international students. As SEVIS terminations mount without due process or compassion, critics warn that the country risks damaging its global reputation and losing the very talent it has worked so hard to attract. Without swift reforms, more students may find themselves kicked out without warning—and without justice.