Four Chinese students sue Trump administration over revoked visas

(ECNS) -- Four Chinese students from top U.S. universities, including the University of California, Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon University, have sued the Trump administration on Friday over its abrupt termination of their visas, citing opaque national security grounds and demanding an immediate reversal of the policy.

The U.S. government has cancelled visas of at least 529 students, researchers, and faculty from 88 U.S. universities, as part of its mass deportation campaign, according to court documents, attorney's statements, and announcements made by schools across the U.S. on April 11, CCTV reported.

The U.S. State Department has been canceling records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) without notifying the most affected universities or individuals, leaving students uncertain whether they must leave immediately or can remain to complete their studies.

The move has intensified anxiety among international scholars and students in the U.S., with advocates warning it could deter international students in the future. In 2024, the U.S. issued over 400,000 student visas.

Zhu Keliang, a lawyer who represents the case, said the students filed a lawsuit in a district court of California on Friday, accusing the U.S. authorities of terminating their legal status without providing any notice, hearing, or evidence—solely based on vague national security grounds. They further claimed that even previously dismissed traffic tickets and domestic dispute allegations from years ago were cited as justification.

"We're fighting not just for these four students, but for all affected," Zhu said. The layer previously helped block the Trump administration's attempted WeChat ban in 2020. 

He plans to seek a temporary restraining order on Monday. If granted, the ruling could restore visa status for all impacted students within days.

The SEVIS terminations effectively nullify F-1 visa holders' legal status, requiring them to depart the U.S. and putting them at heightened re-entry risks.

"If the U.S. can revoke visas arbitrarily, international students are not safe," Zhu's firm said in a statement.

Earlier, Phoenix TV reported that Dartmouth College Ph.D. candidate Liu Xiaotian successfully petitioned a court to temporarily reinstate his visa after a revocation on April 4.

According to Zhu, there have been two previous cases of individual Chinese students suing the U.S. government, and with the latest four-person lawsuit, he hopes to make the outcome cover all affected students.

(By Zhang Dongfang)