Legal challenges are mounting against US agencies for terminating international students' SEVIS records, with courts increasingly granting temporary restraining orders. Immigration attorneys are discussing the agencies' attempts to downplay the irreparable harm caused to students.
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An Indian student, Krish Lal Isserdasani, faced potential deportation after his US student visa was abruptly cancelled. Despite no charges filed after a prior arrest and being close to graduation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his student record was terminated. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation, citing lack of due process.
The Presidents’ Alliance, representing over 570 campus leaders, has filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Homeland Security's mass termination of SEVIS records for international students. The lawsuit argues these terminations lack legal basis and violate due process, impacting students' education, employment, and legal status. The alliance seeks to protect international students' rights and institutions' ability to support them.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have spilled over into London, marked by escalating protests from both diasporas. An Indian-origin man, Ankit Love, was arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Pakistani High Commission. These incidents follow a recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, further straining the already fraught relationship between the two nations, leading to heightened security concerns in London.
In Singapore, Pramender, an Indian tourist, was convicted for molesting a 12-year-old girl at a swimming complex. He followed her to the washroom, accessed her Instagram, and sent inappropriate messages. The court considered the victim's age and vulnerability, highlighting the potential for escalation if her cousins hadn't intervened. Pramender faces jail time, fines, and potentially caning under Singaporean law.
The family of Harsimrat Kaur Randhawa, a 21-year-old Indian student fatally struck by a stray bullet in Hamilton, Canada, is seeking assistance from the Indian government to repatriate her body. Randhawa, a Mohawk College student, was waiting at a bus stop when she was hit during a shooting incident involving two vehicles.
Gurvinder Johal, a 37-year-old Indian-origin man, was fatally stabbed inside a Lloyds bank branch in Derby on Tuesday afternoon. Haybe Cabdiraxmaan Nur, a 47-year-old Somalian man, has been charged with Johal’s murder and appeared in court. Another man initially arrested in connection with the case has been released without further action, as confirmed by authorities.
Following litigation efforts, ICE is reinstating international students' records after improperly revoking them in SEVIS, causing widespread disruption and fear. The terminations, often based on flawed NCIC data, affected many students, particularly from India and China. ICE is developing a new policy for SEVIS terminations to prevent future overreach and hardship.
Priya Saxena, an Indian PhD graduate in South Dakota, has been granted a preliminary injunction against deportation after her visa was unexpectedly revoked by DHS over a minor traffic violation from 2021. The court's decision protects her right to remain in the US and apply for Optional Practical Training.
Dr. Mumtaz Patel, of Indian origin, has been elected as the 123rd president of the Royal College of Physicians, making history as the first Indo-Asian Muslim to hold the position. A consultant nephrologist, Dr. Patel aims to modernize the college and amplify the voice of its members. Her four-year tenure will focus on supporting members and improving patient healthcare.