F1 Torture: SEVIS Terminated for Slow Driving?

Every day more and more insane cases against international students are emerging from the US. Driving too fast, too slow, or just existing has become a crime in the eyes of the authorities who continue to terminate F-1 visas.

An immigration attorney, Steven Brown, shared a case of his client on X, where the student was pulled over for driving 10 mph under the speed limit. He passed sobriety tests yet was subjected to blood tests later.

When the report came drug-free he was still handed a ticket for “impeding traffic by slow speed.” As he was fingerprinted, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) terminated his legal status through the federal database for international students, SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System).

Another attorney responding to this incident gave details about his client in an even worse situation. The student is doing a PhD with a 4.0 GPA, no criminal record, and no immigration violations but still lost their SEVIS status without explanation.

Recent data suggested over 4,000 students have had their SEVIS terminated since January 20, and almost 50% of the reported cases are of Indian students. Many people, like the above cases, are going through this torture for no fault of their own.

This is a nightmare not only for the students who are already fighting in court but also for over 330,000 Indian students who don’t know what will contribute to their SEVIS termination.

Lawyers have begun fighting back. Judges have issued temporary restraining orders to block deportations in at least three cases. Still, a permanent step is needed to calm the students who are in panic about their legal status more than their studies.