SEVIS Termination Crisis: 2025
By Likitha Reddy Peesari
International and Immigration Law,
May 2025
In early 2025, thousands of international students in the U.S. lost their F-1 status due to the abrupt termination of their SEVIS records, often triggered by minor infractions, administrative errors, or vague national security concerns. These terminations caused severe legal, academic, and emotional distress for students. Legal challenges, led by organizations like the ACLU, have resulted in court-ordered reinstatements of SEVIS records for many students. The crisis highlights systemic flaws in the immigration process and has broader implications for U.S. higher education, including declining international enrollment and calls for immigration reform.
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