Minor offences come back to haunt Indian students in US, told to self-deport | Hyderabad News

HYDERABAD: After revoking visas of international students over alleged campus activism, US authorities have now started targeting those students with minor criminal offences. Some of these offences include even traffic infringements.
In the past few days, dozens of Indian students in the US received emails from their designated school officials (DSOs), stating that their F-1 student visa was no longer valid and directed them to leave the country immediately. The email (a copy of which is in TOI’s possession) cited the students’ past criminal charges — ranging from “shifting” lanes and drunk driving to even shoplifting — as reasons for these revocations.
TOI was the first to report on March 30 that hundreds of international students in the US were getting emails asking them to self-deport over campus activism. Immigration attorneys said that students lost their visa even for something as innocuous as sharing a social media post.
“The termination of your SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a legal document which stores data of an immigrant and proves their legal status) record means that you no longer have valid F-1 non-immigrant status. This means you are no longer lawfully allowed to stay in the US. Restated, your Form I-20 is no longer valid. Your EAD (Employment Authorisation Document) is no longer valid, and you no longer have authorisation to work,” read the email.
It added, “If your visa has been revoked, this means that the F-1 visa in your passport is no longer valid. If you are in the US, you may need to make plans for immediate departure.”
T he latest bunch of emails were received by Indian students studying across universities in Missouri, Texas, and Nebraska among other states. TOI spoke to at least five such students who got the email in the last 15 days.
While each of the offences can lead to deportation as per the Department of Homeland Security, immigration lawyers in the US say that, in the past, they seldom resulted in deportation. “Revoking SEVIS for offences like drinking and driving, shifting lanes or over-speeding is extremely rare,” said Chand Paravathneni an immigration lawyer from Texas who is currently handling around 30 such cases. He said he was flooded with calls from Indian students, sailing in the same boat in the last four days.
“Some of these cases involve offences like jumping a traffic signal or failing to have a licensed driver in the passenger seat while on a learner’s permit. All these are petty crimes and are usually dismissed after following certain formalities. We have hardly seen anyone’s SEVIS being revoked due to such crimes in the past,” Paravathneni added.
“We are checking with students to ascertain if they were involved in anything else apart from the cases they have disclosed to us,” the lawyer said.
Old cases that’ve been settled
Speaking to TOI, some of the students from Hyderabad claimed that the offences date back several months and that they had completed all related legal formalities. “I got a ticket for over-speeding two years ago in New York. I was driving at a little over 80 mph in a 70 mph zone. I paid a nominal fine and visited a police station, and that was it. I was never arrested,” said a student, currently living in Omaha, Nebraska and working on contract basis under OPT (Optional Practical Training).
He completed his master’s in project management from Boston. “While I am not undermining my mistake, it is unfortunate that I am being asked to self deport for a minor offence — and that too after so long.”
Another student from Hyderabad, currently in Missouri, admitted to being arrested for driving after a few drinks. “I was told not to consume alcohol for a year. An ignition lock was installed in my car, which only starts if I blow into a breathalyser and am sober. I’ve been regularly giving urine tests to the police, and all have come back clean,” said the student, now in his final year of master’s in Information Technology. He too is shaken by the deportation email.
“I forgot to scan items worth $144 at Walmart in Delta, Texas in July 2023,” recalled another Indian student from Austin, Texas. He was even arrested for shoplifting. “But they gave me a warning and the case was dismissed within a month on the grounds of my good academic performances and because it was my first offence. I followed all instructions, and completed all the formalities. Why am I being punished again?” he asked.
Common among students
Ravi Lothumalla, from a US-based consultancy — US Admissions — that assists international students with college admissions, jobs and legal matters, pointed out how offences like shoplifting and drinking and driving are common among students and considered serious in the US. He said students are clearly explained about them being illegal before they arrive in the country.
“However, this is the first time that we are seeing SEVIS being revoked for such crimes. Many of these cases are over a year old and already resolved. Students must consult immigration lawyers immediately, as some may still have a chance of reversing the revocation,” said Lothumalla.