A Joe Biden-appointed federal judge in Georgia has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to reinstate the visas that were stripped from dozens of foreign students over their roles in fueling pro-Hamas protests on campus.
U.S. District Court Judge Victoria Calvert ordered the Trump administration to reinstate the legal status of 133 international students by 5 pm Tuesday.
Their F-1 student visas were terminated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The students had their records terminated on Homeland Security’s SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System).
They allege this was done without prior notice, proper explanation, or an opportunity to respond.
SEVIS is a database that DHS uses to monitor non-immigrant students.
Calvert granted temporary restraining orders on behalf of the plaintiffs and ordered ICE and DHS to reinstate student statuses retroactively to March 31, 2025.
“Plaintiffs are likely to show that Defendants’ termination of the SEVIS registration exceeds the bounds of statutory and regulatory authority and is therefore unlawful,” Calvert wrote.
The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU and other groups in the Northern District of Georgia.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and acting Director of ICE Todd