SOCORRO, N.M. (KRQE) – A federal judge in New Mexico ruled that the Department of Homeland Security must restore a New Mexico Tech student’s visa while his case proceeds, according to the ACLU of New Mexico.
The student from Ghana, identified in court filings as K.O.D, is suing the Department of Homeland Security and ICE after he said his visa was revoked. According to the lawsuit, the student learned about the revocation from university officials two weeks ago. The visa was not set to expire until 2028.
The lawsuit claims K.O.D., who is pursuing a doctorate in petroleum engineering, had never been arrested or charged with a crime, nor had he participated in any protests.
The ACLU of New Mexico and Huffman, Wallace & Monagle LLC represent K.O.D. in the case.
“The court has recognized that K.O.D., like other international students, cannot simply have his status terminated without notice or explanation. K.O.D. can now continue his doctoral research without the immediate threat of detention or deportation hanging over his head,” Shayne Huffman, with Huffman, Wallace & Monagle LLC, said in part in a news release.
“This is an important first step toward justice for K.O.D. and potentially hundreds of other international students facing similar situations,” Rebecca Sheff, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of New Mexico, stated in the news release.
This comes as the federal government said it is reversing the termination of legal status for international students around the U.S. after many filed court challenges against the Trump administration’s crackdown, according to a report from The Associated Press.
