The Trump administration’s large-scale termination of international student visas in the United States has sparked significant concern, with a disproportionate impact on Indian students. According to a comprehensive report by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), data collected from 327 cases reveals that 50% of the affected students are from India, making them by far the largest affected national group.

The AILA report highlights that Indian nationals represent half of all documented visa revocations and SEVIS terminations, significantly outpacing other nationalities. The second most affected group

Chinese students accounts for only 14% of cases, followed by smaller numbers from South Korea, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Many of the affected Indian students were on Optional Practical Training (OPT), having already completed their degrees and secured employment in the United States. The termination of their status has immediate consequences on their ability to work legally, with particularly complicated pathways to reinstating their status compared to current students.

The data suggests that Indian students are being caught in an arbitrary enforcement net that often involves minor infractions or even dismissed charges. According to a verified source cited in the AILA report, ICE has terminated 4,736 SEVIS records since January 20, 2025. With Indian students representing approximately half of affected cases, this suggests that over 2,300 Indian students may have had their immigration status terminated, creating significant disruption for this community and potentially affecting US-India educational exchanges.

The notification process for these terminations has been inconsistent, with many Indian students discovering their status changed only after proactively checking with their universities or finding their accounts suddenly inaccessible.