CHICAGO (WLS) — A DePaul University student who was supposed to graduate this June saw his visa canceled last week. Now, he is taking legal action against the Trump administration to have it reinstated.
Vishnu Nali, like many other students around the country, had his F-1 student visa revoked last Tuesday. This move led to a complaint being lodged on Friday in federal court against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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Nali has been studying business analytics towards earning his master’s degree from DePaul University, with his graduation scheduled for June 2025.
The complaint states that Nali’s visa was terminated following an arrest last year for what his legal representative describes as “a minor shoplifting offense.”
A Chicago police report states Nali was arrested after he was caught stealing a pair of Nike shoes and a shirt from a department store.
Prosecutors later dropped the charges against Nali.
According to the complaint, an arrest is not a legal basis for terminating a student visa.
“Getting arrested is NOT a basis to terminate the F-1 student status of a student under the SEVIS system, according to the government’s own regulations,” Nali’s federal complaint states. “Neither is a conviction for a non-violent crime with a sentence of less than one year of imprisonment.”
Attorney Jeff Brown told the I-Team Nali had every expectation of graduating from DePaul University this summer, and continuing to work in the U.S. for some time after, but all of that is in jeopardy now.
“It is the Government’s contention that he is no longer eligible to be in the U.S., or to even have status as a student, as of last Tuesday, when it terminated his status, and that he cannot graduate or even attend classes,” Brown said.
The government has yet to respond formally to the case.
A court hearing for this case is scheduled for Friday.
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