Multiple international students at UT Austin have had their visa statuses “reactivated,” in the SEVIS, or Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, database, a university spokesperson confirmed Friday. The reactivations allow universities to access students’ records in the SEVIS database, which is used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to track international students’ compliance with their visas.
Tricia McLaughlin, ICE’s assistant secretary for public affairs, said in a statement to TSTV News that the reactivations do not change circumstances for those whose visas have been revoked.
“We have not reversed course on a single visa revocation,” McLaughlin said. “What we did is restore SEVIS access for people who had not had their visa revoked.”
A university spokesperson declined to provide additional details regarding changes to UT students’ statuses.
TSTV News previously confirmed that multiple international students at UT’s flagship campus had their visa statuses revoked or changed unexpectedly, and at least 176 students throughout the UT System had been affected by the federal changes.
The reactivations come after the Trump administration announced in court Friday that student statuses would be reactivated while a new system is created to process international student visa reviews and terminations, the Associated Press reported.
The sudden shift follows multiple lawsuits filed by students claiming they weren’t informed about their status change, according to the AP.
It is unclear how many UT Austin students’ visa statuses have been affected by the recent changes.
International students have been the target of the federal administration in recent months, with hundreds of visa status changes accompanying a host of controversial immigration policies.
This is a developing story, and TSTV News will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.