US officials reinstate visas for some San Diego international students after court challenges

Federal officials announced Friday the U.S. government is reversing the termination of legal status for international students after many filed court challenges against the Trump administration's crackdown .

Since March, more than 1,200 international student visas have been revoked nationwide , often without the students or their schools being notified.

CBS 8 has confirmed some visas have been reinstated to students from both UC San Diego and San Diego State University.

UC San Diego, which had 35 student visas terminated, has seen 18 reactivated as of Friday. Seventeen are still in "terminated" status, according to the university.

SDSU confirmed three of four students have had their visas reactivated.

In a statement to CBS 8, a representative from UCSD stated:

We are pleased to learn that starting from April 24, 2025, the federal government commenced the process of reviving numerous SEVIS records that were initially canceled. By April 25, 2025, UC San Diego reported having 17 SEVIS records remaining in terminated status, whereas 18 formerly canceled records have been restored.

UC San Diego keeps a close watch on SEVIS records and is actively collaborating with affected students to ensure they receive pertinent updates."

In an announcement to CBS 8, a representative from SDSU stated:

San Diego State University has confirmed that out of the four affected students due to recent visa and SEVIS record cancellations, the SEVIS records for three individuals were restored to an active state by 6:30 a.m. on April 25, 2025. Due to regulations concerning student confidentiality, specific details regarding these students will not be disclosed.

SEVIS — the Student Exchange Visitor Information System — is a program run by the Department of Homeland Security that allows you to remain in the United States. SEVIS stores data collected from F-1 and J-1 visa holders.

According to the Associated Press , some students had been targeted for pro-Palestinian activism or criminal infractions. However, many have been left wondering what they did wrong in the government's eyes, according to the AP.

Students across the nation who had their visas revoked were being instructed by the Department of Homeland Security to depart the country right away.

A significant number of the approximately 1,200 students mentioned had only slight offenses documented in their files. According to reports from the Associated Press, some departed the nation, while others chose to go into seclusion or ceased participating in classes altogether.

AP obtained a statement reviewed by government lawyers on Friday.

It states: "ICE is working on a policy that will establish guidelines for terminating SEVIS records. Until this policy is released, the SEVIS records of the plaintiff(s) in this case (along with those of other similar plaintiffs) will stay Active or will be reinstated if they are currently inactive, and ICE will refrain from altering these records merely due to an NCIC determination that led to previous terminations."

A lawyer spoken to by AP mentioned that the restoration would cover all students facing similar circumstances, not only those who had initiated legal action.

In multiple state lawsuits challenging visa cancellations, students contended that their right to due process was violated. Many of these terminations came to light through regular inspections of the international student database conducted by college administrators.