Indian PhD Student Wins Legal Battle After U.S. Visa Revoked Over Minor Traffic Violation

Priya Saxena, a 28-year-old Indian PhD candidate at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, has won a crucial legal victory against deportation after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) abruptly revoked her student visa. The federal court has now granted her permission to remain in the United States.

In April, DHS revoked Saxena’s valid F-1 visa, citing a supposed “criminal record.” However, the alleged offense was a minor 2021 traffic violation—failing to yield to an emergency vehicle—for which she had already paid a fine. According to her attorney, such minor infractions are not grounds for deportation under U.S. immigration law.

Following the visa cancellation, Saxena’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) record was also deleted, threatening her ability to graduate on May 10. In response, Saxena filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in mid-April. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, allowing her to finish her doctoral program and graduate last weekend.

This week, the court issued a preliminary injunction preventing DHS from arresting or detaining Saxena without prior court approval. The judge noted that DHS’s actions “appear unlawful and are likely to cause Saxena irreparable harm,” according to court documents.

Since January, the Trump administration has intensified immigration enforcement, targeting international students over minor infractions such as traffic violations or campus activism. DHS admitted in court that it scanned over one million international students through an FBI database, resulting in 6,400 matches and the revocation of roughly 3,000 visas, even though many students were legally present in the U.S.

Saxena’s case marks a rare legal win amid growing criticism of the administration’s harsh immigration policies targeting international students.