Trump admin's new guidelines for deporting foreign students include visa revocation

An internal memo filed by the Department of Justice from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has outlined new guidelines for revoking the legal status of foreign students in the country, including the revocation of visas, and deport them.

According to NBC News, the memo was filed in court on Monday night and was dated Saturday. "When SEVP [Student and Exchange Visitor Program] has objective evidence that a nonimmigrant visa holder is no longer complying with the terms of their nonimmigrant status for any reason, then the SEVIS [Student and Exchange Visitor Information System] record may be terminated on that basis," the memo stated.

Such records can now be terminated for reasons ranging from "violation of change of status requirements" to "exceeded unemployment time." Previously, foreign students could lose their legal status in the country for reasons including committing crimes, losing work authorization, and ceasing to attend school. 

In a Friday hearing, the Trump administration said that it would restore the legal status of foreign students whose records had been terminated in recent weeks and would, in the meantime, direct ICE to craft a new policy that will “provide a framework for status record termination.” 

The memo stated, "When State revokes an alien’s visa with immediate effect, ICE should take steps to initiate removal proceedings. If State revokes a nonimmigrant visa effective immediately, SEVP may terminate the nonimmigrant’s SEVIS record based on the visa revocation with immediate effect." The memo emphasized the existing rule that the State Department can "at any time, in its discretion, revoke an alien’s visa."

ICE also stated in the memo also stated that the document is "not intended to, does not, and may not be relied upon to create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by any party in any administrative, civil, or criminal matter."