Organizations offer legal services amid national rise in student visa revocation

After six UNC students had their visas revoked by the Trump administration last week, student groups and campus services are providing legal services to address immigration-related concerns.

As of Monday, the UNC students who had their visas terminated are now part of a larger group of over one thousand students and recent graduates at more than 180 colleges and universities who have had their legal status changed by the U.S. Department of State, according to Inside Higher Ed’s tracker.

On Wednesday, the Workers Union at UNC announced on Instagram that it had assembled a group of attorneys to offer free representation to the students who had their visas revoked. 

The Daily Tar Heel reached out to the Workers Union at UNC but did not receive comment by the time of publication. 

Students can also receive immigration-related guidance from Carolina Student Legal Services, Inc., a private nonprofit separate from the University that provides students with free legal support. CSLS is funded by an activity fee that all full-time students are required to pay. 

CSLS Director Fran Muse wrote in an email to The DTH that the organization contracts with Hatch Rockers Immigration law firm to provide free consultations to students with immigration-related concerns, such as adjustment of status or employment-based questions. 

Students with questions surrounding immigration law can contact CSLS to schedule a time to meet with an attorney from Hatch Rockers or to receive a referral to other immigration attorneys upon request, Muse wrote.

CSLS and Hatch Rockers will not be representing students who have had their immigration status changed.

“This is a very specialized area within immigration law,” Muse wrote. "We are referring those students to private immigration attorneys who are handling these special types of cases." 

However, the organization can assist international students with concerns that may arise due to their immigration status, such as reviewing leases for an early termination provision or helping negotiate with a landlord. CSLS also sponsors a monthly immigration law clinic with Hatch Rockers for interested UNC students. 

There are over 3,000 international students who attend UNC. To attend a U.S. college or university, non-citizens must receive an F-1 visa. If they are participating in an exchange program, students need a J-1 visa instead. 

UNC Media Relations wrote in a statement to The DTH that the University refers students dealing with immigration issues to CSLS or suggests they seek outside legal counsel through the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

At North Carolina State University, students with immigration concerns can receive guidance from University Student Legal Service on various areas but can also receive free representation for their cases, excluding costs of process fees and court filing fees.

NCSU University Student Legal Services immigration attorney Hoang Lam said working these cases often involves helping students prepare forms, gather evidence and attend interviews.

Two NCSU students had their visas terminated by the Trump administration, the Technician reported on April 1. There are almost 5,000 students attending the University on visas.

Lam said his office has offered to litigate those students’ cases before the federal court and has tried to ensure that students understand all of their options. He said that attorneys like himself who work for on-campus student legal services can be particularly helpful in this situation because of their understanding of student visas.

“An average immigration attorney might not have a lot of exposure to that specialized sub-area within immigration laws,” Lam said.

Lam said free on-campus legal services are important, particularly when it comes to immigration issues because they prevent students who are often already taking out loans from their countries from incurring legal fees.

As more students are having their visas revoked, Lam said he is advising international students and naturalized citizens to take extra caution.

“This is something I never saw before in over 20 years of practice,” Lam said. “And it is counterproductive and unlawful.”

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