Several international students in Connecticut can now resume their employment and studies after their records were restored in a federal database, according to the University of Connecticut (UConn) in a statement released Monday.
“We have learned that all of the impacted students at UConn have now had their SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) records restored by the federal government, meaning absent some other unexpected change, they should be able to resume their studies and work at UConn uninterrupted,” UConn said.
This comes after the federal government announced Friday it would move to restore the statuses of many international students who previously had their records eliminated in recent weeks.
But the update doesn’t mean the federal government will abandon attempts at revoking visas, according to a Georgia attorney representing four Connecticut students who are a part of a nationwide lawsuit in a federal district court in Georgia.
Their attorney, Charles Kuck previously obtained a temporary restraining order against the government to restore his client’s statuses before the government made their announcement last Friday. But Kuck emphasized the government is simply buying time to resume their efforts.
“What ICE said was that they were temporarily restoring, as of that date, the SEVIS access, leaving students with a large gap of unlawful status,” Kuck said. “And they also indicated they were drafting new rules so they could reinstate the revocation.”
Tricia McLaughlin, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary,did not reveal how many foreign students in Connecticut are affected by the federal government’s abrupt reversal on Friday. All the federal government did, she said, was to restore the records for certain foreign students.
“What we did is restore SEVIS access for people who had not had their visa revoked,” McLaughlin said.
UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said in a statement the restoration of those records is distinct from restoring a previously revoked student visa.
“When a person’s SEVIS record is deleted, they are unable to prove their visa status for purposes of travel, work, etc., even if the visa has not been revoked,” Reitz said.
Kuck said he will file a class action lawsuit in response to what he said is an anticipated move by the federal government to impose harsher rules for foreign students.
According to Reitz, none of the students at UConn had their visas revoked by the federal government, although according to her, 300 international students nationwide, have. McLaughlin said the federal government has not reversed their decision on a single visa revocation.
Kuck said he is also awaiting a decision in Georgia on whether his clients can have their statuses restored for the duration of the lawsuit. A decision is expected this week.
