Chinmay Deore. (image-LinkedIn/Chinmay Deore)
Michigan, US: Four students from public universities in Michigan have filed a lawsuit against the Donald Trump administration over possible deportation from the country. One of them is Chinmay Deore, an Indian student. This comes after a US federal judge temporarily blocked the deportation of an Indian student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, after his international student visa was revoked without due process.
The lawsuit, led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan, alleges that the students’ academic futures and immigration status have been jeopardised due to an erroneous entry in the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
Also Read | US Judge Halts Deportation Of Indian Student At UW-Madison Over Visa Termination
In their complaint against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and immigration officials, they alleged that their F-1 student statuses were unlawfully terminated without sufficient notice or explanation.
The plaintiffs—Deore from India, Xiangyun Bu and Qiuyi Yang from China, and Yogesh Joshi from Nepal—state that the SEVIS termination cited criminal records or visa revocation, though none of the students had been charged with crimes or received official visa revocation notices.
Chinmay Deore
According to the ACLU, Deore has resided legally in the US for most of his life, first arriving in 2004 on an H-4 dependent visa with his family. After a brief departure in 2008, he returned in 2014 and later enrolled at Wayne State under the same dependent visa. As he aged out of H-4 eligibility in 2022, he transitioned lawfully to F-1 student status to continue his studies, with plans to graduate in May 2025.
Deore, a 21-year-old computer science undergraduate at Wayne State University, learnt of the termination via email on April 4. The message cited the reason as “failing to maintain status” due to being “identified in a criminal records check”, despite his clean legal record and lack of involvement in on-campus political protests.
On April 4, Wayne State University informed Deore that his F-1 student status in SEVIS had been terminated. He received no further details or allegations. Nor did he receive any notice from the Department of State that any F-1 visa attributed to him has been revoked.
Also Read | US: After Harvard, MIT Moves Against Trump Government
The lawsuit claims the status termination has already caused significant personal and professional harm. Deore lost his on-campus employment authorised under his F-1 status, which provided vital financial support. Additionally, his ability to participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT) and pursue graduate studies has been threatened.
“If removed from the US, he would also be torn away from his parents and sister, all of whom lawfully reside in Canton, Michigan,” stated the lawsuit.
Deore continues to live with his parents and younger sister, all lawful residents in Canton, Michigan. He has no criminal background apart from minor traffic infractions, and the lawsuit emphasises his compliance with all immigration and civil laws.
The students are asking the court to reinstate their student statuses to prevent detention or deportation and to allow them to resume their education and career plans in the US.
Also Read | Analysis: How Trump’s Policies Will Impact International Students In US Universities?
Xiangyun Bu, a Chinese national, has been enrolled in a master’s program in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan since August 2023. Fellow Chinese student Qiuyi Yang, 26, is pursuing a Ph.D. at the university’s School for Environment and Sustainability, also since August 2023. Prior to that, she earned a master’s degree in urban planning from Cornell University in May 2023.
Nepali citizen Yogesh Joshi, 32, is a Ph.D. candidate in anatomy and cell biology at Wayne State University. He began his studies in August 2021 and resides in Detroit with his wife and eight-month-old U.S.-citizen child. He expects to complete his programme in 2026.
