All of the 27 students and alumni whose visas were terminated earlier this month at the University of Wisconsin-Madison had their status restored as of Saturday night, university leadership announced Monday.
A spokesperson for the Universities of Wisconsin system said other campuses have seen reversals, as well.
On Friday, the Trump administration reversed the termination of thousands of visa registrations from a federal database, Politico reported.
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Affected international students weren’t given a reason for the initial visa terminations or their records being restored, UW-Madison leadership said. The reversal came after a wave of legal challenges, including at least two UW-Madison international students who won protection from deportation.
The restoration means affected students and alumni can continue their work and studies on campus, UW-Madison leadership said. However, the move doesn’t guarantee all visa revocations will be rescinded, an immigration attorney told WPR.
“I’m relieved and grateful that these records terminations have been reversed,” Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said in a statement. “This situation was deeply troubling, upended lives and created both fear and harm. I want to personally thank the many members of our community, along with local, state and federal officials, who worked to assist our students.”
On Friday, a U.S. Department of Justice lawyer reportedly told a federal judge that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was working on a new system for reviewing and terminating visas.
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