Education association files lawsuit to halt unlawful termination of SEVIS records of international students

The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a coalition of over 570 campus leaders, together with several impacted international students, has filed a lawsuit in a US district court (district of Massachusetts) on Thursday, challenging the Department of Homeland Security ’s (DHS) unlawful mass termination of SEVIS records for F-1 students and participants in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.

The lawsuit complaint argues that DHS’s sweeping terminations have no basis in federal regulation and violate the Fifth Amendment’s due process protections. Thousands of international students were stripped of valid status without warning, individualized explanation, and an opportunity to respond—costing them housing, jobs, and access to education just weeks before graduation or entry into the workforce. The policy also undermines member institutions’ ability to attract, retain, and effectively serve international students.

The Presidents’ Alliance and several impacted international students, including named plaintiffs from member institutions such as Boston University and MIT, are represented by the law firm Green & Spiegel and the National Immigration Project.

The SEVIS is a government database operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE’s) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) used to monitor and track student status. Operationally, the government relies on an active SEVIS record as the indicator that an international student remains in valid status. Termination of a SEVIS record ends a student’s ability to work or participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Curricular Practical Training (CPT), and carries a host of other consequences. International students are unable to continue making any progress toward their degrees without, inter alia, access to on-campus work, CPT or OPT or in many instances the ability to obtain state identification or drivers licenses. They are also at risk of arrest, detention, or removal.

Through this lawsuit, the Presidents’ Alliance asks the court to:

• Declare the policy unlawful and unconstitutional;
• Vacate all improper SEVIS terminations;
• Enjoin DHS from future terminations affecting international students at Presidents’ Alliance member institutions;
• Order immediate reactivation of SEVIS records for those already harmed; and
• Stay the policy while the case is litigated.

The international students have filed the lawsuit pseudonymously. One of the plaintiffs is a

graduate student pursuing a Master of Science degree in STEM from Boston University with an anticipated graduation date of May 2025. He previously earned a B.S. in Mechanical engineering from Boston University and currently resides in Massachusetts. As an international student eligible for up to three years of STEM OPT, he has been actively preparing to begin his professional career in the US. His future was abruptly jeopardized when he received notice that his SEVIS record had been terminated based on unspecified criminal record findings–despite having only minor traffic violations. Yet another international student, recently earned his Master’s degree in Financial Mathematics from Boston University in Jan 2024. He was working full-time under STEM OPT authorization when he was abruptly notified on April 3, 2025, that his SEVIS record had been terminated due to an alleged criminal records check and/or visa revocation. With no criminal history and no police contact, he was forced to quit his job and has since lost the opportunity to return to his employer.

“We are going to court to protect the rights of international students and defend our member institutions' ability to appropriately attract, retain, and support them. The unlawful termination of student records without due process strikes at the heart of higher education’s mission. Colleges and universities drive innovation, research, and workforce growth by fostering global talent — but they can’t do that when students’ futures are derailed without explanation or when fear and uncertainty diminish our global competitiveness and reputation. These actions deter future international students from studying here in the U.S., and hinder campus administrators from carrying out their work by the arbitrary upending of established regulations and processes,” said Miriam Feldblum, President and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance.

Louis Caldera, Board Chair of the Presidents’ Alliance and Former President of the University of New Mexico added: “International students are driving cutting-edge, university-based research and launching innovative companies that bolster national security and fuel our economic vitality. But that progress is at risk when students face sudden, unjustified disruptions to their status. Our colleges and universities cannot remain global leaders in innovation when fear and uncertainty deter top talent or if institutions are prevented from supporting the very students who help power America’s future.”

Sirine Shebaya, Executive Director at the National Immigration Project, stated: “The sudden move to terminate thousands of international students' SEVIS records without any lawful basis is unprecedented and has introduced fear and uncertainty into the lives of international students, many of whom are here without strong family or other support networks already, and most of whom do not have a deep understanding of the details of how the immigration laws work. Against that background, the terminations are not only lawless; they are also cruel, and yet another manifestation of policies that fly in the face of both legal standards and common decency. The National Immigration Project is proud to represent the Presidents’ Alliance and impacted students across the country in seeking an end to this policy."