ORLANDO, Fla. — University students across the United States are reporting their student visas were revoked without prior warning.
Madhurima Paturi, an attorney with Paturi Law in Orlando, says she is representing clients in all 50 states. Some of the students were enrolled in USF, UCF, and campuses in South Florida.
She says in her 18 years practicing immigration law, she has never received an influx of calls like she has since last Tuesday.
“It’s been a rollercoaster,” she said.
Paturi says she has noticed a pattern in each of her client’s cases: the termination for every case was listed as “criminal check.” She says that can be as simple as a paid off speeding ticket, but some of her clients have never had any run-in with law enforcement.
She showed Spectrum News three emails her clients received minutes apart.
The first email is from the state department and the student’s consulate, notifying them the student visa was revoked.
“Not only are they revoking the visa, they are telling them that once you are back into the country, you have to give back your passport so they can cancel your visa physically,” said Paturi.
The second email is from the SEVP, a portal maintained by the Department of Homeland Security. It said the student has 15 days from the day the email was sent to seek status updates before their account is closed.
The third email is from the school itself. Paturi says each call is troubling since students receive no warning about their status and visa being revoked, whether they have minor charges or not.
“The schools are issuing the emails saying that immediately your status is terminated, so you don’t have any status right away. There is no 30 days, there is no 60 days for you to pack up here. That unlawful status is effective right away,” she said.
Paturi says she is finding options for her clients, whether that is changing status to become a dependent on someone else’s visa, or asking clients if they want to join lawsuits springing up across the country.
She believes schools should look at the student’s background and if there’s nothing threatening there, they should reconsider giving them a reinstatement.
