ATLANTA — Currently, international students in Georgia can go to school and work without fear of being deported.
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A federal judge is expected to grant a temporary restraining order after the Trump administration terminated dozens of student visas.
“None of these students did anything that would make them removable from the United States,” said attorney Charles Kuck.
Both immigration and attorneys for the government went head-to-head inside a federal courtroom on Thursday.
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A newly filed lawsuit accused U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of illegally revoking the immigration status of dozens of international students in Georgia without due process.
“Everyone, no matter what their immigration status is, is entitled to the protections of the U.S. Constitution,” said one advocate.
The suit alleges ICE used the student and exchange visitor information system to terminate the students’ statuses.
“We know ICE has AI, and they said, ‘hey AI,’ here’s all the students, check it against every database,” Kuck told Channel 2’s Audrey Washington.
Inside the court, the attorney for the government requested a list of student names and information to determine the status and legality of the student visas.
Kuck, who represents the students, agreed to provide additional documents.
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The judge is expected to grant the temporary restraining order on Friday.
“It says you’re OK. You can’t be deported. You can go back to work,” Kuck explained.
“This is going to create a tremendous psychological stress,” retired Emory University professor Tara Doyle told Washington.
“They’re terrified. Our students are so scared. I mean, they’re already nervous,” Doyle explained.
Washington reached out to ICE for comment, but did not hear back.
A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for next Thursday.
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