A federal judge in Wisconsin has halted the deportation of an Indian student whose student visa was abruptly cancelled just weeks before he was due to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Computer engineering student, Krish Lal Isserdasani, 21, had maintained full-time academic enrollment and good standing throughout his studies and was on track to graduate on May 10.
On April 4, Isserdasani was informed via email that his record in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) had been terminated. The message, from the university’s International Student Services (ISS), cited “OTHERWISE FAILING TO MAINTAIN STATUS – Individual identified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked” as the reason for the termination. No further detail or explanation was provided.
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The sudden revocation meant that Isserdasani’s authorization to remain in the U.S. would expire on May 2 — eight days before commencement — without any formal notification, opportunity to appeal, or chance to clarify or rectify the circumstances.
The visa termination appeared to stem from an arrest five months earlier. On the night of Nov. 22, 2024, Isserdasani and a group of friends became involved in a verbal altercation with another group while walking home from a bar.
He was arrested on a misdemeanour charge of disorderly conduct. However, the Dane County District Attorney, Ismael Ozanne, reviewed the case and chose not to press charges. Isserdasani never received a court summons and reasonably believed the matter had been resolved.
Despite this, federal immigration authorities appear to have used the arrest — without a conviction — as the basis for terminating his F-1 student status.
Judge William Conley, who presided over the case in the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, found that this action lacked legal justification under the applicable immigration regulations.
Under U.S. immigration law, a student visa may only be terminated on grounds of “criminal activity” if the individual has been convicted of a “crime of violence for which a sentence of more than one year imprisonment may be imposed.”
The offense of disorderly conduct in Wisconsin is a Class B misdemeanour, punishable by no more than 90 days in jail. Since the case against Isserdasani was not pursued by prosecutors, there was neither a conviction nor an offence meeting the federal criteria to justify the termination of visa status.
Conley noted in his 12-page ruling that Isserdasani had not engaged in unauthorized employment, misrepresented any information to immigration authorities, or violated other terms of his F-1 visa.
The decision criticized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for failing to adhere to their own regulations, which permit SEVIS termination only in narrowly defined circumstances — none of which applied in this case.
According to the ruling, Isserdasani had received no communication from ICE, DHS, or the U.S. State Department prior to his SEVIS termination, and thus had no chance to defend himself.
“Given the amount of Isserdasani’s educational expenses and potential losses from having to leave the United States without obtaining his degree, the court concludes that Isserdasani credibly demonstrates that he faces irreparable harm for which he has no adequate remedy at law in the absence of injunctive relief,” Conley wrote.
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The court acknowledged the profound impact of the visa termination on the student’s future. Isserdasani and his family have spent approximately $240,000 on his U.S. education.
The ruling also noted that if Isserdasani were forced to leave the U.S. before May 10, he would be unable to complete his degree or apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT), a critical pathway for international students to gain work experience in their field of study post-graduation.
Isserdasani is not alone in this predicament. Since January 2025, the Trump administration is reported to have cancelled the visas of over 1,000 international students across the country.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, at least 26 international students and recent alumni at UW-Madison alone have seen their visas terminated unexpectedly, with more than 40 such cases reported system-wide across University of Wisconsin campuses.