A recent LinkedIn post by Sriram Mani, a business and economics student at Columbia Journalism School, has sparked widespread discussion about the growing unease among international students in the United States. Mani recounted a troubling exchange with a neighbor in his apartment building near Columbia University, where he was asked, “So, has Trump not deported you guys yet?” Though uncertain whether the comment was sarcastic, Mani responded with, “I wake up every day, wondering,” to which the woman replied, “Well, we’ll see,” before walking away. “I’ve never felt more like an unwanted outsider in this country and city that otherwise has been wonderful,” he reflected.
This personal encounter comes amid a broader climate of uncertainty following a federal crackdown that has affected thousands of international students. Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) abruptly removed many students’ records from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), effectively revoking their legal status in the country.
The action stems from a Department of Homeland Security initiative to cross-reference student visa holders with the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. Court documents reveal that individuals were flagged for a broad spectrum of issues — from minor infractions to charges that had long been dismissed. At least 734 names were compiled into a spreadsheet that resulted in mass SEVIS terminations within a 24-hour period.
One affected student, Akshar Patel, whose case had been dismissed in 2018, is now pursuing legal action. During a hearing, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes sharply criticized the government’s actions, highlighting the “utter lack of concern for individuals who have come into this country” and noting that no individual reviews of the flagged records had taken place prior to the terminations.
Though federal officials later clarified that the SEVIS removals were intended as investigative alerts — not final determinations of status — the damage was already done. Many students, confused and fearful of deportation, withdrew from classes or left the U.S. voluntarily.
The episode has fueled concerns about the precarious position of international students, who contribute significantly to American academic and research institutions but now face both systemic uncertainty and rising xenophobia in everyday life.
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