In a significant development for international students in the U.S., particularly Indian nationals, the Trump administration has announced a temporary reinstatement of legal status for hundreds of foreign students. This comes amid an ongoing lawsuit challenging the administration’s immigration policies, heard before a federal court in Boston.

The issue centers around the sudden deletion of student records from SEVIS — the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System — a federal database responsible for tracking over 1.1 million foreign students’ academic and legal compliance. Under former President Donald Trump’s strict immigration approach, many students saw their SEVIS records removed, instantly making them susceptible to deportation. According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association, more than 4,700 students have been affected since Trump’s term began.

Students involved in the lawsuit argue that these deletions were unjust. Many claim their legal status was revoked for minor infractions, or even dismissed charges, that should not have warranted such drastic consequences. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), however, maintains that SEVIS record terminations are linked to legal violations.

One of the high-profile plaintiffs, Carrie Zheng from Boston University, obtained a temporary restraining order that blocked her deportation. Judge F. Dennis Saylor extended this protection to over 200 other international students, ordering the restoration of their SEVIS records while ICE finalizes a new policy framework.

During the court hearing, ICE confirmed it is working on guidelines for future SEVIS terminations but assured that, for now, students’ records would be preserved or reinstated unless they engage in activities warranting deportation. While lawyers for the plaintiffs have not commented publicly, the temporary relief offers a much-needed breather as legal proceedings continue.