Federal judge to order Dartmouth student's visa be reinstated
Share and Follow

A Chinese doctoral student at Dartmouth College is about to have his visa reinstated after it was revoked without explanation last week by Homeland Security.

Xiaotian Liu, who is studying computer science at the Ivy League college, had his F-1 student status terminated on Friday, with his lawyers arguing in court documents that the move was done without prior notification and insisted he had not taken part in any of the student protests that swept the college last year. It comes as the Trump administration has begun a new wave of visa revocations for international students studying at American universities.

Dartmouth officials said they discovered the termination independently while reviewing Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records on Friday and informed Liu the same day, according to court documents viewed by Fox News Digital. 

Dartmouth campus

A federal judge is set to order the visa reinstatement of a Chinese doctoral student at Dartmouth College after it was inexplicably revoked by Homeland Security. The Baker Library at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H.  (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Assistant U.S. Attorney Raphael Katz, a lawyer for the federal government, did not have an explanation in court on Wednesday.

“I don’t have the facts to explain why the change in status happened at this point,” Katz said, per The Dartmouth. The outlet reports that one other international student at the college had their visa revoked. 

The forthcoming decision was welcomed by Gilles Bissonnette, the legal director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, who said that Liu can now continue studying and working computer science. 

“International students are a vital community in our state’s universities, and no administration should be allowed to circumvent the law to unilaterally strip students of status, disrupt their studies, and put them at risk of deportation,” Bissonnette said.  

President Donald Trump has suspended federal funding to every Ivy League, besides Penn and Dartmouth, over investigations into anti-Israel protests that have taken place on their campuses since October 2023. Funding for dozens of other universities has also been impacted by investigations for the same reason.

kristi noem dhs

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons were named as plaintiffs. ((Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) | (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images) | (Fox News Digital))

The Trump administration has promised to be more aggressive in ending campus antisemitism after saying President Joe Biden did not hold universities accountable for their violent protests.

The administration has also made moves to detain and deport foreign students who participated in or orchestrated anti-Israel protests at American universities.

Dartmouth, located in Hanover, New Hampshire, is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Elizabeth Pritchett as well as The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Newly released video shows cops cuffing teen linked to violent sex assault scandal that has families fuming

Shocking Video Surfaces: Police Detain Teen Suspect in Controversial Sex Assault Case, Igniting Public Outrage

Recently unveiled body-camera footage captures the arrest of a teenager implicated in…
Lonely woman, says AI family saved her with 'son' and virtual lover

Discover How AI Companions Transformed a Woman’s Life: From Loneliness to Virtual Family Bonds

A woman from Connecticut has shared her journey of overcoming depression by…
Government shutdown why 'I'm in limbo': Rep.-elect Grijalva

Rep.-Elect Grijalva Voices Concerns Over Government Shutdown Impact: ‘I’m in Limbo

A Democratic representative-elect from Arizona finds herself in a state of uncertainty…
Air India sole crash survivor says he feels like 'luckiest man' alive but struggles with trauma

Air India Crash Survivor Shares Emotional Journey: From Feeling ‘Lucky’ to Battling Trauma

The sole survivor of the Air India crash that occurred in June…
New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks at Dutch Kills Playground on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in the Queens borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

New York’s Jewish Community Faces Tension and Concerns Over Mamdani’s Critique of Israel

NEW YORK (AP) — As New York City approaches an election that…
California Proposition 50 election results 

Breaking: Discover the Outcome of California’s Proposition 50 Vote

California Governor Gavin Newsom is set to counter President Donald Trump’s redistricting…
Melodee Buzzard's mom switched license plates on trip: Officials

Officials Report: Melodee Buzzard’s Mother Allegedly Swaps License Plates During Trip

Authorities have provided updated information in the ongoing investigation into the disappearance…
Belgium suspects drones flying over base reported to host US nuclear weapons were 'spying'

Belgium Investigates Suspicious Drone Activity Over U.S. Nuclear Weapon Base Amid Espionage Concerns

In a concerning development, Belgium’s Defense Minister has raised alarms about a…