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An immigration attorney who has recently sued the government on behalf of international students who’ve had their status terminated says there are more lawsuits to come. 

Attorney David Wilson represents Ziliang Jin and Rattanand Ratsantiboon, both of whom allege the Department of Homeland Security illegally terminated their student status. In separate lawsuits, both Jin and Ratsantiboon are demanding to have their records reinstated so they can complete their studies. Otherwise, they’ll have to leave the country. 

Jin is a student at the University of Minnesota from China pursuing a master’s degree in geographic information science and cartography. Ratsantiboon is a Thai national studying nursing at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul. 

According to federal regulations, foreign students can lose their status for several reasons, including committing a crime of violence which can be punishable by a year or more in prison. 

Wilson says Jin had several traffic violations which are not legal grounds to end his student status. 

“So he has a couple of contacts with the police,” said Wilson. “One was for a suspended license. That ticket was ultimately dismissed. Then, like anyone new to Minnesota, he was struggling to learn how to park a car during snowstorms. So he was leaving his car in the wrong spot and he has a speeding ticket. That’s all he’s done."

Wilson says Ratsantiboon had a DWI seven years ago.

“He’s completed his probation, he’s been going to school and he has had no contact with the government until they reached out electronically to his school.” 

Wilson calls the electronic component “digital deportation.” Many students are finding out about their legal status after universities run a check through their online database. Wilson believes the federal government looks for any contact with police, which then triggers an automatic termination of their visa. 

“There’s no fundamental due process. There’s not even notice. If it wasn’t for the schools, a lot of these students would keep carrying on, oblivious to what’s happening to them,” he said.

At least two dozen students across the state have reported having had their visas revoked or status terminated, say officials with the Minnesota State system.  Those numbers do not include the University of Minnesota Twin Cities... or other U of M campuses, or private institutions around the state.

Another U of M graduate student Doğukan Günaydın, has sued the government after he was arrested and detained on March 27. Günaydın has remained in ICE custody since then and is petitioning for his release.

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At least three international students in Minnesota have filed lawsuits saying ICE and the Department of Homeland Security unlawfully terminated their legal student statuses.

Attorney for Minnesota students suing ICE says more lawsuits to follow in coming days

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