Judge Blocks Homeland Security from Deporting University of Iowa Students
A federal judge intervened to prevent the deportation of four University of Iowa students, challenging the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) decision to terminate their student visas. This article delves into the details of the case, the court's reasoning, and the implications for international students in the United States.
Legal Challenge to Visa Terminations
Four students from the University of Iowa found themselves facing potential deportation after their student statuses were abruptly terminated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The students, identified anonymously in court filings as John Does #1 through #4, filed a lawsuit in the District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, arguing that the federal government unlawfully stripped them of their legal status without justification, notice, or due process. The lawsuit alleged violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Fifth Amendment’s due process protections.
According to the lawsuit, each of the plaintiffs was admitted to the United States on an F-1 student visa. Also named as a defendant is Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons.
The lawsuit claims that on April 10, 2025, ICE abruptly canceled, without explanation, the plaintiffs’ status as students within DHS’ Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems database. Four days later, the lawsuit claims, three of the plaintiffs’ visas were revoked without explanation. embassies, warning them that “remaining in the United States can result in fines, detention, and/or deportation,” and adding that “deportation can take place at a time that does not allow the person being deported to secure possessions or conclude affairs in the United States.
Court Intervention and Temporary Restraining Order
Responding to the students' plea, District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger granted a temporary restraining order on April 24. The order directed DHS and ICE to restore each student’s F-1 status, bar any future terminations without a formal proceeding, and prohibit the agencies from arresting, detaining, transferring, or deporting the students without prior notice to the court and their attorneys. The judge’s April 25 order instructs Noem and Lyons to restore the plaintiffs’ status as students and further instructs them that they “shall not arrest, detain, or transfer plaintiffs John Doe No. 1, John Doe No. 2, John Doe No. 3, or John Doe No.
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Judge Ebinger also provided the additional protection of a preliminary injunction that will last while the plaintiffs’ underlying case against the government is being litigated.
Basis for the Lawsuit
The students' lawsuit centered on the argument that ICE terminated their records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) without citing a valid legal basis. The court noted that under federal regulations, student status may only be terminated for specific reasons such as national security threats, certain crimes, or failure to maintain a full course of study. The judge found no evidence that any of those conditions applied. The students said they were never provided with an explanation from ICE or DHS.
The court agreed with the students’ argument that the loss of legal status, risk of removal, and disruption to their education caused irreparable harm.
Students' Backgrounds and Alleged Offenses
The court filings revealed the backgrounds of the four students and the reasons cited for the visa terminations:
- Doe #1: An Indian national and Ph.D. student in chemical engineering who has remained enrolled and employed as a teaching and research assistant. According to the court order, he received a speeding ticket and a misdemeanor OWI conviction.
- Doe #2: A Chinese undergraduate student in economics, admitted to traffic violations and a disorderly conduct conviction.
- Doe #3: Also from China and studying exercise science, had an OWI charge with a deferred judgment and traffic infractions.
- Doe #4: An Indian national who completed a Master of Public Health and now works for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services through Optional Practical Training, had an expunged OWI conviction.
None of these offenses are grounds for SEVIS termination under immigration law, the court found.
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Judge's Reasoning and Rejection of DHS Claims
In Thursday’s decision, Judge Ebinger addressed Homeland Security’s claim that the students had wrongly interpreted a change in their student status in the federal database called the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS. The agency had argued that the status listing was essentially meaningless “data” that had no actual impact on the students’ visas or status.
Ebinger rejected that claim, ruling that “SEVIS status is not meaningless and distinct from actual status.” She noted that Homeland Security itself had well-established record of equating a student’s SEVIS status with the student’s actual status, and that educational institutions, including the University of Iowa, rely on the SEVIS records to accurately determine a student’s status.
“Immediate consequences flow from reliance by Homeland Security, the Department of State, employers, and academic institutions on SEVIS records as proof of student status,” Ebinger stated in her ruling. “The alleged unlawful termination of student status through termination in SEVIS records eliminates or substantially hinders the ability to study, graduate, work, obtain reinstatement of status, alter status, or secure future immigration benefits.”
In addition, Ebinger rejected Homeland Security’s claim that its actions were not arbitrary and capricious - the standard for reversing administrative action, which is what the four UI plaintiffs seek as part of their lawsuit. The judge noted there was “no suggestion” made by anyone that the four plaintiffs met Homeland Security’s own standards for revoking student status, such as conveying falsehoods to Homeland Security, engaging in unauthorized employment, committing a serious crime or failing to engage in educational studies.
In deciding to issue the injunction, Ebinger also stated that she had “little confidence” that going forward, Homeland Security and ICE will comply with the law and “act consistently with pertinent regulatory factors.”
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In a statement that underscores the difficulty lawyers for Homeland Security are likely to face as the underlying case moves forward, Ebinger stated in her decision that “imposing immediate negative consequences on persons while disregarding governing law and regulations is arbitrary and capricious.” The four UI plaintiffs, she said, “have demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on the merits” of their case.
Settlement and Resolution
University of Iowa students and the DHS reached a settlement agreement on Dec. 5, and the case has been closed with the students retaining their visa status. Three international students and one graduate from the University of Iowa settled their lawsuit with the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Dec.
Broader Implications
The case was part of a nationwide move to deport “student criminal aliens” or international students charged with any crimes. According to filings in the federal complaint, ICE officials terminated the students’ status after unlawful activity was found through the National Crime Information Center.
The lawsuit argued that the students' prior misdemeanors do not justify visa revocation and that the SEVIS system is being misused as an immigration enforcement tool.
This case echoes similar situations faced by other international students, such as Isserdasani, a UW-Madison student who had his visa terminated based on a criminal records check. Conley’s ruling came after Isserdasani filed a lawsuit against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Secretary Todd Lyons for violating his right to due process.
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