An international student forced to abruptly leave Chicago for his home country of India says his legal immigration status has been restored, but he feels deeply conflicted about returning to the United States. His status was revoked in early April without warning.
“What is going to make it hard for me to choose to come to the U.S. is that anything like this can happen again,” said Lev, an alias WBEZ is using to protect the student’s identity. “I want to make sure that my future is secure, that I am able to study, work and then move onto the next goal that I have in life, instead of having these abrupt situations where I have to completely change tracks.”
Lev, who recently completed his master’s degree at the University of Illinois Chicago, is one of more than 1,500 international students whose right to pursue higher education and work in the U.S. abruptly was terminated this month by the Trump administration without explanation or due process.
The 28-year-old was told by the State Department that at any point, he could be detained by immigration authorities and sent to a country other than India. He decided to leave the U.S. on April 13.
He was back in India at his parents’ house last week when he learned that, following multiple court challenges, federal officials were changing course and had reinstated the lawful immigration status of some students, including his own.
Despite the reversal, Lev remains wary of returning and fearful that he could be targeted again.
“At first, I was a little bit hopeful,” Lev said. “But then I talked to one lawyer and another student legal services official from UIC, and both told me that even if [my status] is reinstated, the fact that it was terminated will obviously come up when I am trying to reapply [to re-enter the country].”
Lev misses his friends in the U.S. and wants the opportunity to visit more of the country’s national parks with them — he loves the outdoors and being active. However, he does not want to return until the country has moved past the chaos and uncertainty imposed by the Trump administration.
On Monday, federal officials reportedly circulated a new policy under which the State Department could revoke students’ visas, after which Immigration and Customs Enforcement could terminate their legal status for any reason.
Immigration attorneys are already challenging the Trump administration’s move.
For now, Lev plans to apply to Ph.D. programs in finance in Germany. He has been studying for the GRE and trying to learn German. He hopes to finish his doctorate and work for several years at a bank, until he can apply for college teaching jobs in the U.S.
“I think a country is its people and not the government,” Lev said. “My friends are still my friends. Everyone I know in the U.S. is still in support and understanding of [my situation]. … I think there’s a time in every country where there’s some form of chaotic element to it, and we just need to make sure that in the future … we move forward from it.”
Lisa Kurian Philip covers higher education for WBEZ, in partnership with Open Campus. Follow her on Twitter @LAPhilip.