Who is Chinmay Deore? Know why the Indian student is facing US deportation despite clean record

Chinmay Deore Indian student facing deportation from US

Chinmay Deore, an Indian student at Wayne State University, has joined three other international students in a legal battle against the US Department of Homeland Security and immigration officials, claiming their student visa statuses were unfairly revoked.

The students enrolled in Michigan’s public universities are now facing the risk of deportation after what they describe as an abrupt and unlawful termination of their F-1 student visas. Alongside Deore, the plaintiffs include two students from China, Xiangyun Bu and Qiuyi Yang, and one from Nepal, Yogesh Joshi.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan, which is representing the group, stated that they’ve filed a federal lawsuit and are seeking an emergency court order to halt any removal proceedings. The organization alleges that the Trump-era immigration action lacked proper notice and justification.

Who is Chinmay Deore?

Deore, 21, is pursuing a degree in computer science and has been studying at Wayne State since 2021. Originally from India, he came to the US with his family in 2004 on an H-4 dependent visa, returned to India in 2008, and later re-entered the US in 2014 under the same visa category.

As he approached the age limit for the H-4 visa, Deore applied for and successfully transitioned to an F-1 student visa in May 2022. He currently lives with his family in Canton, Michigan, and is expected to graduate in May 2025.

The lawsuit highlights Deore’s clean record — noting he has never faced criminal charges or serious legal infractions in the US, apart from minor traffic violations for which he paid fines promptly. It also mentions that he has not participated in any campus protests or political activism, underscoring the lack of grounds for the visa cancellation.

What is the matter? 

On April 4, Chinmay Deore received a message from Wayne State University notifying him that his F-1 student visa status had been terminated. The email stated that his SEVIS record was closed due to a reported failure to maintain visa status, citing reasons such as being flagged in a criminal background check or having his visa revoked.

He did not receive any notice from the Department of State that any F-1 visa attributed to him has been revoked.

"These terminations have put Plaintiffs' education, research, and career trajectory at risk. In particular, Chinmay is no longer able to obtain OPT, and his ability to transfer his F-1 status to another school for a master's degree is in jeopardy. He has also lost a position he lawfully held pursuant to his F-1 status, a position that provided income that he relied on to support himself. If removed from the United States, he would also be torn away from his parents and sister, all of whom lawfully reside in Canton, Michigan," the lawsuit filed by ACLU stated.

"The lawsuit asks the court to reinstate the status of these students so that they will be able to complete their studies and avoid facing the risk of detention and deportation," it further read.