In a significant legal ruling, a U.S. federal judge has barred the Trump administration from deporting Krish Lal Isserdasani, a 21-year-old engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This decision, issued on April 15, 2025, prevents the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from revoking Isserdasani's student visa or detaining him, a relief for the young man who was set to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering in early May.
Isserdasani's student visa was abruptly cancelled on April 4, 2025, just weeks before his graduation, prompting concerns about the legality of the action. The cancellation came after Isserdasani was arrested on November 22, 2024, on suspicion of misdemeanor disorderly conduct following an argument with another group after leaving a bar. However, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne declined to charge him in the case, and Isserdasani never appeared in court.
Judge William Conley of the Western District of Wisconsin ruled that Isserdasani was not convicted of any crime and that his claim of wrongful visa termination had a "reasonable likelihood of success" in court. The ruling is viewed as a substantial victory for international students, particularly as approximately 1,300 students nationwide have experienced abrupt terminations of their SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records.
Shabnam Lotfi, Isserdasani's attorney, emphasized the lack of due process in his case, stating, "He was given no warning, no opportunity to explain or defend himself, and no chance to correct any potential misunderstanding before his F-1 student visa record was terminated in SEVIS." The judge has set a preliminary injunction hearing for April 28, 2025, to further address the legal issues surrounding Isserdasani's visa status.
Lotfi expressed gratitude for the ruling, stating, "We’re grateful that the rule of law and justice have prevailed. The government has not provided any legal authority for these unlawful terminations of innocent international students’ statuses, and we are pleased that the Court saw that." This case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by international students in the U.S., particularly amid heightened scrutiny of immigration policies under the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also grappling with ambitious immigration goals, as officials have repeatedly cited a target of deporting one million undocumented immigrants within a year. This figure, which has been a talking point for Republican figures like J.D. Vance, is seen by analysts as arbitrary and fraught with logistical challenges.
Donald Trump has promised what he calls the "largest deportation in history," but experts warn that achieving this goal would require immense resources and a significant overhaul of current immigration enforcement practices. Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, an analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, noted that deportations depend on three critical elements: arresting people, detaining them, and actually deporting them, all of which require substantial funding and infrastructure.
The Republican administration is currently seeking Congressional approval for a new law that would allocate a substantial budget for immigration enforcement. However, even if this legislation passes, it would necessitate hiring and training personnel, signing detention contracts, and potentially constructing new facilities to accommodate increased deportation efforts.
Adding to the complexity, irregular border crossings have significantly declined, with only 7,000 encounters reported in March 2025 — the lowest number in decades. This drop complicates the administration's plans, as many deportations historically stem from apprehensions at the border.
Moreover, the current backlog of approximately 3.7 million immigration cases for about 700 judges poses a formidable obstacle to rapid deportations. Many individuals facing deportation are stuck in lengthy proceedings, often waiting months or even years for their cases to be heard.
Despite these challenges, the Trump administration is reportedly negotiating with up to 30 countries to accept deported individuals, aiming to expedite the deportation process. However, many of the 1.4 million immigrants with active deportation orders cannot be removed because their home countries are not accepting them.
In a controversial move, the administration has also announced a fine of nearly $1,000 a day for individuals with active deportation orders, a strategy aimed at encouraging voluntary departure, which the administration has termed “self-deportation.”
While the White House claims that self-deportation rates are increasing, it has not provided concrete data to support this assertion. The lack of transparency surrounding immigration enforcement statistics has raised concerns among advocates and analysts alike.
As the Trump administration continues to navigate the complexities of its immigration policies, the case of Krish Lal Isserdasani serves as a poignant reminder of the human impact of these decisions. With his future hanging in the balance, Isserdasani's situation underscores the broader issues facing international students and undocumented immigrants in the current political climate.
The intersection of immigration policy and individual rights remains a contentious topic in the U.S., with ongoing debates about the balance between enforcement and due process. As the April 28 hearing approaches, many will be watching closely to see how this case unfolds and what it may mean for the future of international students in the country.
