Just weeks after revoking visas of nearly 1,900 international students, the Trump administration abruptly reversed course Friday.
The Justice Department announced in court that it will restore immigration status to affected students — including an estimated 60 in Ohio — while officials develop rules for future terminations.
By Monday, all 10 visas canceled at Kent State University have been reinstated in the online federal database tracking international student records, university officials told Signal Ohio.
It’s a similar story at Dayton’s Sinclair Community College, where officials said three student visas previously revoked are now restored. In Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University officials said visas revoked for four students are all back to active status.
But it remains unclear whether all affected students will see a change in their legal right to be in the country – and for how long.
“While this appears to be a positive development, the university is eager to receive more details on the new SEVIS policy framework that is mentioned in numerous reports,” an Ohio State University spokesperson told Signal Ohio via email Friday afternoon.
The State Department previously said it was revoking student visas for those it believed may be affiliated with groups working against America’s foreign policy interests.
But that didn’t appear to be the only trigger for taking action against students. Several students filed lawsuits against the federal government that argued the moves were unprovoked.
International students advised to be careful of social media posts, activism
Friday’s reversal came after weeks of fear and confusion at campuses across Ohio and the country.
At Lorain County Community College, officials had a well-honed message for their international students.
Be careful of social media posts. Try to tone down any activism that could draw attention. Stay transparent with school officials about any off-campus interactions, even something as small as a speeding ticket.
“If anything comes back to bite them in any way, we want to be sure that we’re able to help in any way that we can,” Shaun Marsh, the college’s director of international education, said in an interview with Signal Ohio Thursday.
College officials stress this messaging isn’t really different from what they normally tell their international students. They acknowledge it’s easier to have close relationships with this group – who come from countries such as India, Australia and Vietnam – given there are just 23 of them. None saw a recent change to their legal status.
More than 59,300 international students attended a U.S. community college last year, a small percentage of the 1.1 million international students enrolled nationwide in a college or university.
But many two-year public schools rely on this group to complement their student body – and pay full sticker prices for tuition. For international students, enrolling at a community college can be a more affordable option to get an American education.
‘Business as usual’ for international students at LCCC
Marsh said Lorain County students were recently feeling a little “on edge,” but were less concerned given they’re studying at a non-residential, semi-rural community college.
He said students want to know what’s happening without being overinformed. The bulk of their questions center around both domestic and international travel plans.
The school advised that traveling is fine, according to LCCC associate provost Brenda Pongracz, as long as “they do the things we’ve always told them to do, which is to carry your documents with you at all times.” That differs from what other colleges recently advised.
Earlier this week, LCCC officials had a pre-scheduled check-in with one of their assigned federal representatives overseeing international student compliance.
Pongracz said the federal staffer stressed that only a small percentage of international students studying in the U.S. experienced a change in visa status.
“It was helpful to hear from the government perspective that actually it is pretty much business as usual,” said Pongracz.
This story was updated April 28 to reflect the latest numbers at Kent State University and Sinclair Community College.
