By Cole Gee | Staff Writer
The three Baylor students whose visas were revoked earlier this month have now had their visas reinstated, according to university spokesperson Lori Fogleman. It comes as part of a national maneuver on behalf of the DHS that saw 1,500 students nationwide have their student visa status temporarily reinstated.
As reported by the New York Times, Joseph F. Carilli, a Justice Department lawyer, told a federal judge that the reinstatement was part of the new system for reviewing and terminating the visas of international students studying in the U.S. The system is incomplete, so many international students who had their visas revoked were given temporary legal status. What will happen after the new system is completed remains unknown.
The Associated Press has been following this story since it initially began in early March. A lawyer for the plaintiff in one of the lawsuits against the U.S., Brian Green, provided the Associated Press with a copy of a statement a government lawyer emailed to him regarding the legal status of those whose records were recently terminated.
“ICE is developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations,” the statement reads. “Until such a policy is issued, the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain active or shall be re-activated if not currently active and ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination.”
Baylor continues to encourage international students worried about their status to contact the ISSS at 254-710-1461 or ISSS_Support@baylor.edu, as well as to actively check and monitor their email accounts for any updates regarding their status.
“Baylor’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) team and Center for Global Engagement continue to assist and support our international students and scholars, who are an essential, vibrant and valued part of our campus community,” Fogleman said.
