Who is Chinmay Deore, Indian student challenging his US visa termination?

Chinmay Deore, 21, a computer science student at Wayne State University, claims with three others that their immigration status was unlawfully revoked by US officials without prior notice

Indian student Chinmay Deore, along with three other international students from China and Nepal, has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and immigration officials. They allege their student immigration status was ended ‘unlawfully’ without proper notice or explanation.

 

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan on behalf of Chinmay Deore, Xiangyun Bu and Qiuyi Yang from China, and Yogesh Joshi from Nepal. It claims their records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) were terminated “without sufficient notice and explanation.”

 

Who is Chinmay Deore?

 

Chinmay Deore, 21, is an undergraduate student at the Wayne State University, studying computer science. He has been living in the US with his family in Canton, Michigan. According to the lawsuit, he first arrived in the US in 2004 on an H-4 visa as a child. After a brief time away, his family returned in 2014. He later enrolled at Wayne State University in 2021.

 

 

In May 2022, he legally changed his visa status to F-1 as he became too old for the H-4 dependent visa. He planned to graduate in May 2025 and had hopes of using Optional Practical Training (OPT) after his studies, a work program available to international students.

 

The lawsuit says Chinmay has never committed a crime in the US, apart from receiving a speeding ticket and a parking ticket—both of which he paid. He has not been part of any political protests either.

 

What is the case against US DHS?

 

On April 4, Chinmay received an email from Wayne State University saying his F-1 visa had been terminated. 

 

The message mentioned, “Our record shows that your SEVIS has been terminated this morning — TERMINATION REASON: OTHERWISE FAILING TO MAINTAIN STATUS – Individual identified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked.” However, no further explanation was given.

 

According to the lawsuit, Chinmay was never told by the US Department of State that his visa was revoked. 

 

The lawsuit also reads, “These terminations have put plaintiffs’ education, research, and career trajectory at risk. In particular, Chinmay is no longer able to obtain OPT, and his ability to transfer his F-1 status to another school for a master's degree is in jeopardy.”

 

The suit adds that Chinmay also lost a paid position he held as part of his student status, which he depended on for financial support. If removed from the country, he would be separated from his family, who live legally in Michigan.

 

What does the lawsuit demand?

 

The ACLU has asked the court to reinstate the students’ F-1 status so they can complete their studies. “The lawsuit asks the court to reinstate the status of these students so that they will be able to complete their studies and avoid facing the risk of detention and deportation,” it says.

 

[With inputs from PTI]