‘Cause for concern’: Congress flags alarming US visa revocations targeting Indian students

The Congress leader stressed the need for clarity and support for Indian students studying abroad, especially as uncertainty around student visa policies grows.

The Congress party on Friday voiced concern over reports that nearly half of the US visa revocations involving international students so far this year involve Indians. Citing a statement from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to raise the matter with US authorities.

A press statement issued yesterday by the American Immigration Lawyers Association is cause for concern to us in India.Out of the 327 visa revocation cases of international students collected by the organisation so far, 50% are Indians. The reasons for revocation are random pic.twitter.com/dZfKJdiirR

Story continues below Advertisement

Remove Ad

Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 18, 2025

According to AILA, out of 327 documented cases of student visa revocations and terminations in the US, 50 percent involve Indian nationals. The organisation said the reasons behind the revocations appear to be "random and unclear", leading to growing fear and uncertainty among affected students.

"The Department of State (DOS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are aggressively targeting international students, including those without a history of protest, for visa revocation, termination of their status, and removal," AILA stated in a press release.

Ramesh, sharing the statement on X, called it a "cause for concern to us in India" and questioned whether the External Affairs Minister would raise the issue with his American counterpart. He also highlighted that students from China (14%), South Korea, Nepal, and Bangladesh were also affected, according to AILA’s data.

The Congress leader stressed the need for clarity and support for Indian students studying abroad, especially as uncertainty around student visa policies grows.