Two students currently enrolled at Portland State University—and one recent graduate—have had their immigration records terminated from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which is the online database used by the Department of Homeland Security to maintain information pertaining to individuals on student visas.
The International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) department reports the termination of a student’s SEVIS record renders their immigration status invalid, posing a threat to their student visas, while citing that communication from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) indicates that the termination of the records don’t necessarily mean loss of legal immigration status. This is an ongoing theme of vagueness and crossed wires amongst organizations.
ISSS advisors across the country began noticing the unprecedented removal of students’ immigration records on SEVIS. The removal of student records is usually enacted by the university advisors themselves, typically only done if a student chooses not to enroll in the required number of credits to maintain eligibility, but the actions were made at the federal level under vague reasoning. Following this, Portland State’s ISSS advisors began regularly monitoring the database.
On April 10, PSU’s Director of International Student and Scholar Services, Christina Luther, noticed three students had their records terminated. PSU Vanguard sat down with Luther to discuss the nature of the situation.
“We had already decided that in the event that this happened with any of our students, the first thing we would do is get in touch with the students,” Luther said in reaction to the terminations.
On the same day, PSU President Ann Cudd issued a statement regarding the matter.
“This morning we learned that the federal government terminated the visa eligibility for two current PSU students and one recent graduate. We have not been informed of the cause for this action,” Cudd’s statement said.
While the letter stated that the students had their visas revoked, Luther at ISSS confirmed that they were unsure of whether visa revocation had happened or not. She urged designation between visa revocation and the termination of immigration records.
According to the University of Toledo’s website, it provides a distinction between the two terms.
“Revoking a visa means it’s no longer valid for entry, while terminating SEVIS status means the student’s legal ability to stay and study in the U.S. is ended. Visa revocation is typically handled by the Department of State, while SEVIS record termination is managed by the Department of Homeland Security,” the website stated.
As the record terminations are being made at the federal level, advisors at PSU struggle to advise students due to the reasoning behind their termination not being clear. The students affected were turned to the Student Legal Services (SLS) department for support in the matter. Ali Schneider is the department’s single immigration lawyer. Vanguard was unable to confirm whether the three students have accepted SLS resources due to legal anonymity practices.
19 international students are currently known to have had their visas revoked or immigration records terminated in the state of Oregon. Four being from University of Oregon, and 13 being from Oregon State University.
On April 21, a student from the University of Oregon and a student from Oregon State University both had their visas reinstated and deportation blocked after filing a lawsuit against the federal government.
The Association of International Educators (NAFSA) is a national non-profit organization concerned with international education. The association held a webinar, which the ISSS participated in. In this webinar, a California immigration attorney highly recommended that students seek legal action against these terminations, due to the lack of legal basis the revocations are based.
After the official statement from the administration regarding the matter, an outpouring of support spread from across departments on campus, offering their services. In particular, ISSS met with the Disability Resource Center to discuss options for students facing deportation to be able to continue their schooling online amidst displacement.
Oregon is a sanctuary state, meaning that the state law enforcement cannot assist immigration enforcement.
“I want students to know that we value their presence on the PSU campus, that they provide such an important, enriching piece to the fabric of that community,” Luther said. “In spite of the message the federal government is sending, we want them here, and we value their presence here, and I think they bring so much to PSU classrooms.”
