The Congress on Friday voiced concern over a report by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that Indian students make up a disproportionately large percentage of recent US visa revocations, and questioned whether external affairs minister S. Jaishankar would address the matter with his US counterpart.
Sharing the association's press release on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the findings are "a cause for concern to us in India."
According to the AILA report, out of 327 cases of visa revocation involving international students, 50 per cent involve Indian nationals. The association further noted that the reasons for the revocations appear to be “random and unclear,” fuelling fear and uncertainty among students and their families.
“Will the External Affairs Minister take note and raise the concern with his US counterpart?,” Ramesh said, tagging Jaishankar’s handle.
The development comes amid the tightening of immigration policies and increased scrutiny on international students in the US despite their significant contribution to the American academic and research landscape.
The report pointed to growing concerns about transparency, fairness, and due process. Many students were unaware their visas had been revoked until they were denied access to immigration systems or informed by employers, it said.
"The Department of State (DOS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are aggressively targeting international students, including those without a history of protest, for visa revocation, termination of their status, and removal," the American Immigration Lawyers Association statement said.
"Of these reports – 50 percent of these students were from India, followed by 14 percent from China. Other significant countries represented in this data include South Korea, Nepal, and Bangladesh," the statement said.
As the situation unfolds, thousands of Indian students — and their families — are watching closely.
Many parents of Indian students are imploring their wards to stay off social media and avoid posting or commenting or liking anything related to US foreign policy under Prsident Donald Trump.