Judge orders DHS to restore visas to five international Concordia graduate students
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A federal court judge Tuesday ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to temporarily restore the student visas of five Concordia University graduate students. The five plaintiffs are citizens of India and earned master's degrees in information technology and management.
Salma Rameez Shaik, Akhil Pothuraju, Nithish Babu Challa, Shyam Vardhan Reddy Yarkareddy and Almas Abdul filed their joint lawsuit Monday and requested temporary restraining orders that would restore their status out of concern that — among other things — they could be arrested and detained by federal authorities.
In his order, U.S. District Court Judge John Tunheim said the plaintiffs “clearly face irreparable harm” after having their student status terminated. His decision comes after two other judges granted similar restraining orders last week to other students targeted by the DHS.
“Therefore, the Court will join in a growing consensus in this District that such sudden terminations of student status by this Administration, seemingly without notice or cause, demand a TRO,” wrote Tunheim.
The court will hold a preliminary hearing at a later date.
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