Kseniia Petrova’s path from a Harvard laboratory to an immigration cell began with frogs.
The individual of Russian nationality, serving as a researcher at Harvard Medical School, did not disclose the "non-hazardous" frog embryos they were transporting upon their arrival in the U.S. from France in February, according to statements made by Petrova’s lawyer. Instead of imposing a penalty, officials decided to revoke Petrova’s exchange visitor visa and placed them under arrest.
Revoking Petrova’s visa was "an excessively harsh penalty for the circumstances," according to her lawyer, Greg Romanovsky. He described the mistake on the customs form as "accidental."
Diwida | did not get a reply from the Department of Homeland Security regarding a request for comment, however, the department
told ABC News
,"The messages discovered on (Petrova's) phone indicated that she intended to smuggle the materials through customs without disclosing their presence."
Petrova is currently held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana, according to ICE records. She awaits a hearing scheduled for June 9 which might result in her being sent back to Russia. Her lawyer claims that upon returning, Petrova would be immediately arrested due to her past criticism of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.
"Her detention is not only unwarranted, but also unfair," Romanovsky stated.
Diwidi has examined court documents, statements from lawyers, and notifications from numerous universities and colleges across the nation. The organization verified that over 340 students, teachers, and scholars have had their visas rescinded so far this year.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated earlier this month that the State Department, under his guidance, canceled over 300 visas, primarily targeting student visas.
The initial high-profile instances centered on individuals alleged to be aiding terrorist groups, similar to the situation with
Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest
Following pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University.
Currently, many student deportations now hinge on visa cancellations due to fairly trivial infractions from several years ago, such as minor crimes, say immigration lawyers, or occasionally for no stated cause whatsoever.
The focus on international individuals associated with renowned U.S. colleges occurs as the Trump administration is taking action.
larger immigration crackdown
, including
claiming broad powers
To label certain migrants as gang members and deport them without a hearing.
"All of these mechanisms within the immigration laws have been utilized previously, yet they employ them in such a manner as to create widespread alarm, disorder, and fear, aiming for students not to receive adequate legal counsel so that eventually, through lack of support, they will exit the nation," stated Jeff Joseph, who is the incoming president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Many individuals connected to universities may face potential expulsion.
A visa is a formal authorization permitting individuals to lawfully enter the U.S. through airports or border checkpoints. According to Minneapolis-based immigration lawyer David Wilson, it’s not uncommon for student visas to be annulled due to various factors when speaking with Diwida|. However, compelling those who are already within the country to depart instantly is quite another matter, particularly during an ongoing academic semester as noted by him.
“Think of a visa as the key to start a car,” Wilson explained. “However, it’s entirely different to halt the vehicle in the middle of traffic and instruct someone they must exit.”
The core issue driving this legal action was initiated by Xiaotian Liu, a Chinese graduate researcher at Dartmouth College. Since 2016, Liu—a computer science scholar—has been studying in the U.S., but now he’s seeking a temporary restraining order from a court to prevent his deportation.
Liu had his F-1 student visa rescinded; his lawyers admit that the State Department has the authority to do this. However, they argue that this does not grant ICE the power to forcibly remove him from the U.S., particularly as he received no justification for the revocation.
His legal representatives stated in a court document, "He hasn’t broken any laws or even violated any traffic rules. Additionally, they noted, 'There have been no instances of him displaying violent behavior or engaging in protests in the U.S. or anywhere else.'"
A federal judge in New Hampshire approved Liu’s request for a temporary restraining order on Wednesday. Diwida reached out to DHS for comments regarding Liu’s case.
Attorneys report that immigration arrests frequently occur unexpectedly.
Visitors who receive explanations for their deportation are frequently taken aback by the information disclosed to them.
A graduate student from the University of Minnesota named Doğukan Günaydin was arrested by ICE on March 27 due to a previous DUI offense, according to a high-ranking official from Homeland Security speaking to Diwida.
In legal documents, Günaydin’s lawyer states that online records indicate his visa revocation did not become official for seven hours after he was arrested while en route to attend a class.
as per Diwida | affiliate KAREصندキャンペ
صند
.
Wilson, who isn’t part of Günaydin’s case, mentioned that being caught driving under the influence can lead to revocation of a visa; however, he has never witnessed it resulting in deportation from the country.
Suggesting that your (legal) standing has concluded due to this reason isn’t something we’ve seen before," he stated. "There’s no basis for such an assertion.
Although the Department of Homeland Security has openly highlighted numerous initiatives aimed at deportation,
students
and
faculty
The procedure for canceling a visa is managed by the State Department, which has become less communicative lately.
"Given privacy concerns and the confidential nature of visas, we typically refrain from commenting on the specifics of the Department’s actions regarding individual cases," a spokesperson stated in response to queries about several incidents reported by Diwida.
Over 1.5 million individuals resided in the US in 2023 under
F-1 and M-1 educational visas
released by the State Department, as per reports
government report
And approximately 300,000 individuals annually find themselves within the US under these circumstances.
J-1 visas
To take part in numerous exchange initiatives, such as those hosted by universities, through the State Department
says
.
Courts turn into the final option for students seeking solutions.
Many times, according to immigration lawyers, the Trump administration chose not to offer any specifics about their choices to revoke visas unless they were compelled to do so by a court order.
In the case of
Khalil
, it was only following him that
filed suit
The government pointed out his omission of having formerly worked at the British Embassy in Beirut and being an unpaid intern with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. When his case finally came up for review, he had already been transferred over a thousand miles away into custody in Louisiana.
Students and their families aren't the only ones finding themselves in the dark. Many institutions of higher education—including the University of Texas at Austin, Stanford University, and UCLA—reported that the administration did not notify them directly about students whose visas were rescinded. Often, these schools discovered this information solely when they conducted checks.
a government database
and finding out that permission had been withdrawn without a clear reason.
"The termination notices suggest that all dismissals resulted from breaches of the conditions set forth in the individuals' visa programs," stated UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk.
statement
for students and faculty on Sunday.
A number of students have seen their visas canceled without any additional steps being taken so far, whereas others have been arrested with the authorities planning to expel them.
"The highly visible steps being undertaken by ICE and the Department of Homeland Security concerning several of these students, involving them being removed from their residences or public spaces, typically only occur in cases where there is a security concern after a student visa has been canceled," explained Sarah Spreitzer from the American Council on Education.
told the Associated Press
The danger of such rapid expulsion is something unprecedented.
The uncertainty surrounding what is causing some academics to be stripped of their ability to conduct research in the US is casting a shadow over the global student population.
"I believe I want to express the sentiments of everybody present; we are all experiencing anxiety," stated a freshmen who is on a student visa studying at one of Philadelphia’s prestigious universities.
Diwida | granted the student anonymity out of concern for potential retaliation.
We experience anxiety since we're unsure about future events," the student stated during an interview with Diwida, sandwiched between a packed schedule of work-study sessions, lectures, and assignments. "Anyone could potentially be targeted for no apparent reason.
The government is urging individuals whose visas have been canceled to depart voluntarily without undergoing hearings.
Certain students are getting notifications about losing their legal standing, frequently coupled with advice suggesting they "voluntarily leave" instead of contesting their deportation in court and potentially risking detention.
CBP One
, an online portal that Customs and Border Protection utilized to arrange entries for individuals seeking asylum during the Biden administration, was modified last month to “
CBP Home
to enable individuals to inform the government of their voluntary departure from the U.S.
“The CBP Home application provides individuals with the choice to voluntarily depart and self-deport, thereby maintaining their potential to lawfully return someday and achieve the American Dream,” stated Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
statement
If they do not, we will locate them, we will remove them from the country, and they will be barred from coming back.
The potential for permanent expulsion from the United States is now being combined with an additional financial penalty. The Department of Homeland Security announced this in a
social media post
that the agency has the authority to impose fines of up to $998 per day on immigrants who stay in the country following receipt of a "final order of removal."
Included among those who have opted to depart are
Momodou Taal
who had been instructed to surrender himself to immigration authorities while his case was under review in court.
I've lost belief that I can stroll the streets without getting kidnapped,
Taal said on X
.
As immigration cases make their slow journey through the judicial system, the rapid and uncertain shift towards deporting individuals who entered the country lawfully is causing significant concern among Wilson’s legal clientele.
I have people who became U.S. citizens 10 years ago questioning whether having a minor traffic violation could affect their ability to travel," he stated. "Individuals are living in fear due to the ambiguity that even minimal interaction with law enforcement might lead to consequences severe enough to upend their lives here.
Diwida |'s Jeff Winter, Danny Freeman, Yash Roy, Gloria Pazmino, Maria Aguilar Prieto, and Javon Huynh were involved in contributing to this report.
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