FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
media@nipnlg.org
Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, together with several impacted international students, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts 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 Presidents’ Alliance and several impacted 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 complaint argues that DHS’s sweeping terminations have no basis in federal regulation and violate the Fifth Amendment’s due process protections. Thousands of 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.
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 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.
Miriam Feldblum, President and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance stated:
“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 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.”
Louis Caldera, Board Chair of the Presidents’ Alliance and Former President of the University of New Mexico stated:
“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.”
Student Doe #2, Graduate Student at Boston University
Student Doe #2 is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science degree in STEM 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 U.S. 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.
Student Doe #4, Recent Graduate of Boston University
Student Doe #4 earned his Master’s degree in Financial Mathematics in January 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. Student Doe #4 urgently needs his F-1 status restored to resume his career and begin seeking new employment.
Jonathan Grode, Managing Attorney, Green and Spiegel, stated:
“Green and Spiegel is proud to advocate on behalf of the President’s Alliance, our partner universities and most importantly the international students who were and remain willing to file this important litigation. Such efforts will resonate long after this ligation is resolved and hopefully benefit countless current and future international students in the US.”
Sirine Shebaya, Executive Director at the National Immigration Project, stated:
“The sudden move to terminate thousands of 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.”
Since 2013, the United States has welcomed over 12 million international students—individuals who drive innovation, advance research, support U.S. businesses, and foster global connections. In 2023-2024 alone, international students made up 6% of the U.S. higher education population and contributed over $50 billion to the U.S. economy, making higher education the nation’s eighth largest service export. More than one million international students, including over 240,000 in OPT, currently bolster America’s workforce, economy, and global competitiveness.
Resources:
- Complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- FAQs: Understanding Recent International Student Visa Revocations and SEVIS Record Terminations: Guidance for Colleges & Universities
- Briefing: Visa Revocations and SEVIS Terminations: Ongoing Administrative Actions, Litigations and Impact on International and other Noncitizen Students, Faculty and Staff
- Policy Brief: The Scope of Immigration Enforcement Actions Against International Students
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The nonpartisan, nonprofit Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration brings college and university presidents and chancellors together on the immigration issues that impact higher education, our students, campuses, communities and nation. We work to support immigrant, international and refugee students, and advance forward-looking immigration policies and practices at the federal level, in our states, and across our college campuses. The Alliance is composed of 580+ college and university presidents and chancellors of public and private colleges and universities, enrolling over five million students in 42 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
The National Immigration Project is a membership organization of attorneys, advocates, and community members who believe that all people should be treated with dignity, live freely, and flourish. We litigate, advocate, educate, and build bridges across movements to ensure that those most impacted by the immigration and criminal systems are uplifted and supported. Learn more at nipnlg.org.
Green & Spiegel LLP is an immigration law firm headquartered in Philadelphia with offices around the country, representing a wide range of individuals, companies and universities.