Key Takeaways
• Thousands of F-1 student visas abruptly terminated after a 2025 Trump administration policy targeting international students.
• Krish Lal Isserdasani nearly deported despite no criminal charges, sparking debate on fairness and due process.
• Federal judges halted removals, labeling mass SEVIS terminations as ‘arbitrary and capricious’; universities and students protested.
In the spring of 2025, a sharp shift in immigration policy upended the plans and dreams of thousands of international students in the United States 🇺🇸, with a particularly strong impact on Indian students. Under a newly introduced policy by President Trump’s administration, the Department of Homeland Security terminated student visas on a mass scale, removing many international students from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. This action was sudden, affecting students with little or no warning, and it sparked debate and worry across universities and immigrant communities throughout the country. For many students, their first knowledge that something had gone wrong came not from the government, but from a university official informing them that their visa status—the very foundation of their stay in the United States 🇺🇸—had been erased without explanation.
One student’s story quickly came to represent the wider struggle faced by this generation of international scholars: Krish Lal Isserdasani. Up until the spring of 2025, Isserdasani, a 21-year-old Indian student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was finishing his undergraduate studies and looking forward to his graduation. Just months earlier, his only run-in with the law had been a brief arrest connected to a minor case of disorderly conduct. The incident did not lead to charges, and law enforcement found no reason to pursue the matter further. Even so, in April 2025—just weeks from earning his degree—Isserdasani’s visa record in the federal database was marked as terminated. He lost his legal right to remain in the United States 🇺🇸, not because of criminal behavior, but because of what authorities vaguely called an issue during a “criminal records check.”
Isserdasani’s problem was not unique. Across the country, Indian students and many others who depended on the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System for their legal presence found themselves in a similar bind. Many students were in strong academic standing and had never received any warning or notice about issues with their visa status. The sudden terminations left them facing removal from the United States 🇺🇸, upending years of study and effort. In some cases, these students had invested large amounts of money and energy on higher education, only to be told they must leave the country on short notice.
The policy itself, begun by the Trump administration in early 2025, led to thousands of F-1 student visas being terminated after a database review and update. University staff across the United States 🇺🇸 scrambled to support students, and many students were shocked to learn about their visa termination through email from their school rather than directly from the federal government. The lack of clear communication, combined with quick timelines for removal from the country, left international students with few choices. According to various reports, some students with no clear path to appeal or challenge the decision chose to self-deport, fearing that staying would make things even worse.
Krish Lal Isserdasani’s experience quickly reached national attention. The specifics of his case—especially the fact that he had not been convicted or even charged with a crime—raised concerns among professors, students, and legal observers. People questioned why students in good standing, who had followed the rules, could lose their rights so quickly and with so little chance to defend themselves. Judge William Conley, a federal judge who took on Isserdasani’s case, expressed this worry plainly. “He was given no warning, no opportunity to explain or defend himself…before his F-1 student visa record was terminated,” Judge Conley stated when he halted the government’s efforts to deport Isserdasani. The decision by Judge Conley didn’t only help one Indian student; it became proof of the larger problem with how the policy was unfolding.
The story of Krish Lal Isserdasani boosted discussion about fairness and due process—the basic right for someone to defend themselves when accused. In Isserdasani’s situation, as well as for many others, the issue wasn’t just about losing visa status, but about receiving no chance to speak for themselves before a major life event like graduation. For international students, losing access to SEVIS meant far more than just missing an educational opportunity. It could end any hope of using Optional Practical Training, a program that lets foreign graduates work in the United States 🇺🇸 for a limited time, building important career skills and experience.
The court’s ruling in Isserdasani’s case led to a pause in his removal, allowing him to complete his degree and participate in commencement ceremonies—something that many of his peers facing similar risk did not have the chance to do. His situation, combined with others, contributed to growing criticism of the administration’s approach. Many judges overseeing comparable cases referred to the mass termination of SEVIS records as “arbitrary and capricious,” saying it failed to provide anything close to fair review for each student. These judges argued that, at the very least, the Department of Homeland Security should have offered an explanation or chance for the students to answer before removing such a vital right.
As these legal fights played out, the focus on politicians behind the policy grew more intense. Kristi Noem, serving as Secretary of Homeland Security during this period, found herself at the center of strong public backlash. At university events, including graduation ceremonies where high-profile guests sometimes appeared, students and faculty loudly booed Noem or her policies whenever she was acknowledged. This reaction underlined frustration among both international and American students, along with professors and alumni, who viewed the visa purge as unfairly targeting non-citizen scholars who had contributed so much to U.S. campuses.
It wasn’t just about individual hardship—the ripple effects of the mass visa termination policy were felt at the institutional, economic, and international levels. Universities in the United States 🇺🇸 have long depended on international students, especially from countries like India 🇮🇳, for both financial strength and academic excellence. According to reporting, international students bring billions of dollars to the economy, pay higher tuition, and often participate in advanced research that strengthens the entire academic sector. When students are forced to leave without warning, universities lose not only tuition dollars but also talented researchers, teaching assistants, and future leaders.
The policy also sent a message to families and future applicants in countries like India 🇮🇳: the rules could change without notice, and hard work and compliance do not always guarantee fair treatment. As a result, some families began to reconsider sending their children across the world to study in the United States 🇺🇸. This created tension and uncertainty at a time when many U.S. schools were already working hard to attract and keep students from overseas.
Analysis from VisaVerge.com suggests that the response across the education and immigration sectors showed rare unity. Student groups, university administrators, and international organizations all raised their voices in defense of basic legal protections for international students. Legal experts pointed out that maintaining up-to-date and accurate records through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System is necessary, but argued that mistakes or misunderstandings should never lead to sudden, unexplained removals. There were calls for reform, suggesting that any future system for tracking and managing international students must include fair notice and a chance to explain, especially where a student’s academic future is at risk.
To better understand the timeline of these events:
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Mass Termination | Thousands lost F-1 status suddenly after database purge ordered by Trump administration |
| Notable Case | Indian student Krish Lal Isserdasani nearly deported despite clean record |
| Judicial Response | Federal judges halt removals citing lack of due process |
| Kristi Noem Reaction | Booed at graduations amid controversy over harsh immigration enforcement |
The role of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System became especially important in this crisis. SEVIS is the main database that links international students, universities, and the federal government. Schools are required by law to keep student records updated in the system, and maintaining “active” status is the key for students to stay in the country legally. However, in April 2025, sweeping changes and reviews of this system—done quickly and with little individual examination—upended this balance.
For Indian students especially, the impact was direct and emotional. Many people who had chosen to leave home and family for academic and professional growth found themselves isolated and facing legal danger for reasons they didn’t fully understand. Stories like that of Krish Lal Isserdasani spread through Indian media, including coverage in the Times of India and India Today, turning individual cases into national news. This raised awareness in India 🇮🇳 about the risks international students might face in the United States 🇺🇸, possibly affecting decisions for future students and families. Many in India 🇮🇳 began to demand more safety and security guarantees for students who planned to study abroad.
At the same time, some U.S. judges began to push back. They ordered that deportations should be stopped when a fair process had not been followed. These rulings said clearly that even non-citizen students should have notice and a real chance to defend themselves, not just before important moments like graduation, but as a basic part of how the immigration system should work.
However, not everyone saw these court victories as the end of the story. Even when students were allowed to stay, they still faced uncertainty about their eligibility for work permits or future academic opportunities because of their interrupted visa status. Employers, who rely on international graduates for their technical and research skills, worried about their ability to hire the best talent from around the world.
For Krish Lal Isserdasani, the experience likely left deep marks. His ability to finish his degree and attend graduation was a sign of strength, not just personal, but for many who watched his case unfold. His story was shared in Indian and American media, and it became a talking point at universities and in courtrooms across the country.
This episode underlined the importance of clear, fair, and consistent procedures in any immigration or student visa policy. It also encouraged students and universities to pay closer attention to their records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System and to know their rights if an issue arises. For detailed information about SEVIS, you can visit the official U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement SEVIS page.
Moving forward, the challenges posed by this incident are likely to influence future immigration debates—not just about legal rules, but about America’s reputation as a place where hard work and academic accomplishment are respected, no matter where a student is from. The mass visa terminations and the case of Krish Lal Isserdasani remind us that behind every policy are real lives, each with their own dreams, struggles, and achievements.
As the debate over how to treat international students continues, the lessons from 2025 will be hard to forget. They will shape how schools, lawmakers, and families in both the United States 🇺🇸 and India 🇮🇳 think about higher education, fairness, and opportunity. And for students around the world, the experience of one Indian student—a graduation day won in the face of sudden, unexpected risk—remains a symbol of both the challenges and the hope that define the international student journey.
Learn Today
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) → A federal database tracking international students’ and exchange visitors’ legal status in the United States.
F-1 Visa → A nonimmigrant visa allowing foreign nationals to study full-time at accredited educational institutions in the U.S.
Optional Practical Training (OPT) → A program letting F-1 visa students work temporarily in the U.S. after completing their studies.
Due Process → The legal right to fair procedures and notice before being deprived of a fundamental right or status.
Self-deport → When individuals voluntarily leave the United States due to fear of enforcement or lack of options for appeal.
This Article in a Nutshell
A drastic shift in U.S. immigration policy in 2025 led to mass termination of F-1 student visas, disrupting thousands—especially Indian students. Krish Lal Isserdasani’s near-deportation highlighted systemic issues. Courts intervened, sparking national debate about fairness in immigration, the importance of due process, and risks to future international education.
— By VisaVerge.com
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