5 Purdue students sue feds after visas targeted by Trump administration

ACLU lawsuit contends seven international students, including five at Purdue, were told they could be deported, maybe to a country not their own

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5 PURDUE STUDENTS FROM CHINA AMONG 7 WHO SUE FEDS AFTER VISAS TARGETED BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Five international students at Purdue were among seven at universities in the state suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after their student visas were terminated, as laid out in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by the ACLU of Indiana.

The lawsuit asks the court for a temporary restraining order so the students – six from China, another from Nigeria – may continue their studies at Purdue, IU-Indianapolis and Notre Dame.

“There is no rhyme or reason for DHS’s action,” Ken Falk, ACLU of Indiana legal director, said in a release from the Indianapolis-based organization.

“To terminate an international student’s status, the U.S. government must adhere to regulatory standards and provide basic due process, which it has failed to do,” Falk said. “The impact on these students’ lives is profound, and now they live in fear of being deported at any moment. We're calling on the court to take immediate steps to stop these unlawful actions.”

As of Tuesday, federal officials had not formally responded to the lawsuit.

Purdue officials declined to comment on the lawsuit or on the number of students on campus who have had their visas targeted by federal officials since January, when the second Donald Trump administration started. Instead, they referred to this statement made April 9: