Kamal Ghorui
A US federal court has reportedly ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acted unlawfully when it cancelled the visa status of an Indian-origin student over a traffic ticket that had already been dismissed. The case centres on Akshar Patel, an F-1 student whose legal status was terminated after ICE flagged a minor, years-old speeding matter during a mass database sweep of international students. The judge said the decision was arbitrary and lacked a lawful basis, rebuking the agency for ending Patel’s student status without warning or due process and forcing him to halt his studies.Patel is an Indian national who entered the US on an F-1 student visa and was studying at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He is a private individual with no criminal convictions. The only incident cited by the government was a 2018 traffic case related to speeding or reckless driving that was fully dismissed.In early 2025, ICE launched what officials described as the “Student Criminal Alien Initiative” and reportedly ran the names of roughly 1.3 million international students through a federal crime database. Any match, including arrests, citations or dismissed cases, could trigger action. Patel’s name surfaced due to the dismissed 2018 ticket, after which ICE terminated his SEVIS record. This instantly placed him out of status, barred him from classes and exposed him to removal risk.Patel sued ICE, arguing that the termination violated the Administrative Procedure Act and basic due process protections. The case was heard by Ana C. Reyes, who ordered Patel’s status restored early in the proceedings and sharply criticised ICE’s process as arbitrary and capricious. The court noted there was no conviction and no evidence that Patel posed any risk.On 27 February, the court reportedly issued a final ruling on the merits and sided with Patel. The judge held that ICE’s termination of his F-1 status was arbitrary and unlawful, and rejected the government’s attempt to dismiss the case as moot after quietly restoring his record. The decision formally condemns the agency’s reliance on dismissed or minor infractions to end student status.
