Opening your mailbox to find a letter from ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) shouldn’t be as anxiety-inducing as it has turned out to be for international students in the US.
Following the mass SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) terminations earlier this year, where thousands of legally enrolled F-1 students were abruptly thrown out of status, ICE has started sending out letters. For most, these letters arrived without context and became a reason for major panic as they lived in fear of deportation.
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But here’s the twist: the letter isn’t bad news. In fact, it states that the earlier SEVIS termination won’t be used against them when applying for future immigration benefits, which should be a huge relief for the students.
However, the F-1 visa holders still aren’t assured because ICE issuing warm, reassuring messages unprompted is out of the ordinary for their character. After weeks of stress, job losses, revoked visas, and disrupted lives, this sudden “clarification” feels too little, too late.
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Some students are still afraid to travel. Others are delaying green card applications, even when married to US citizens. Everyone’s walking on eggshells, unsure if the next letter will bring more answers or another crackdown.
ICE says these notices are just procedural. But when trust is broken, even good news feels like a calm before the storm.
