The University has confirmed that all current and former students with terminated Student and Exchange Visitor Information System statuses have had their records “temporarily” reactivated, according to an update to their Executive Order Dashboard on Tuesday.
The University stated on the Dashboard, “This action is temporary while the Department of Homeland Security creates a new system to review student records.”
Shortly after the Trump administration announced on April 25 that it would walk back the revocation of over 1,800 student visas, Cornell initially reported that three of the 17 affected students had their SEVIS records reinstated.
In their update, the University described the move by the government as “ [made with] little or no notice or explanation.”
In recent months, there have been widespread student visa revocations and terminations across college campuses, many over minor infractions. According to an Inside Higher Ed tracker, over 1,840 SEVIS records from over 240 colleges and universities across the United States were terminated.
The New York Times reported on April 25 that a new system of revocation and termination of visas is in the works. However, a senior Department of Homeland Security official, who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity, said that the students whose legal status was restored could still face termination in the future.
While a new system for SEVIS terminations has yet to be made official, court documents from a lawsuit challenging student SEVIS record terminations in Arizona revealed on Tuesday the outline for two new policies that would expand the ability for federal authorities to terminate students’ legal residency status.
According to Inside Higher Ed, though the policies are not finalized, if implemented, they would be applied nationwide.
