Feds target 12 Mankato students, universities alert of visa status changes
Minnesota universities warn visa students
Federal authorities have canceled the visa status of 12 students at Minnesota State University, Mankato, the school confirmed on Monday, as universities across Minnesota universities have pledged to alert students if their status changes and connect them with legal assistance.
MANKATO, Minn. (FOX 9) - Federal authorities have canceled the visa status of a dozen students at Minnesota State University, Mankato - a figure that is more than double the number first reported, as state universities have pledged to alert students if their status changes and connect them with legal assistance.
12 Mankato students at risk of deportation
What we know:
Minnesota State University, Mankato confirmed on Monday that a dozen of its students have had their visa status terminated – an action that puts them at risk of deportation.
The figure is more than double the number first reported earlier this month, when five students faced a similar predicament.
The university said the students’ records in a government database used to monitor international students were terminated between March 28 and Monday.
At least one of the students was arrested and has since sued the Trump administration.
It is unclear whether the other students were arrested.
What could happen:
When a student visa status is terminated, the student is no longer in the country legally, even if they possess a student visa. The removal of their legal status in the system, known as Student and Exchange Visitor Program, or SEVIS, puts them at risk of deportation.
In the case of University of Minnesota graduate student Dogukan Gunaydin, the government initiated deportation proceedings days after terminating his legal status.
Some state universities to monitor system, alert students
What universities are doing:
Both the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State University, Mankato, say they will routinely monitor the government database for any changes and alert impacted students.
In addition, both universities plan to connect students with legal assistance.
What they're saying:
"The second that your I-20 is terminated, and your record is deleted from the SEVIS system, you no longer have lawful status inside of the country," explained Ana Pottratz Acosta, an immigration attorney. "If you’re out of status, you’re accumulating unlawful presence. And if you’ve accumulated more than six months of unlawful presence, and you depart the United States, then you’re not able to come back for three years or more than a year. You can’t return for 10 years."