Jean Kashikov, a recent University of Alaska graduate, is taking legal action against the federal government after the Trump administration revoked his foreign student status.
Kashikov, along with three other students from the University of Alaska, saw their statuses terminated in the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), along with the revocation of their student visas.
A spokesperson for the University of Alaska indicated that, as of Thursday, they were not aware of any other students or recent graduates facing similar terminations.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Wednesday, with Kashikov’s attorneys arguing that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) failed to provide proper notice regarding the termination of his student status.
This lack of notice, they contend, places Kashikov at risk of detention by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
Cindy Woods, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alaska and part of Kashikov’s legal team, highlighted the implications of the situation.
She referenced the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the federal Administrative Procedure Act, suggesting that there has been clear unlawful conduct in this case.
Woods stated, “We do think that there has been clearly unlawful activity here. A violation of Mr. Kashikov’s Fifth Amendment rights and his right to due process, and also a violation of the APA because this was a final agency action that he has not been given the opportunity to contest.”
Kashikov graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage in May 2024, earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and an associate’s degree in piloting.
Since March, he had been self-employed as a flight instructor under the optional practical training program, which permits foreign students to work in their field of study for up to a year.
On April 10, Kashikov received an email from the University of Alaska Anchorage notifying him of the termination of his SEVIS record.
The federal government cited “other” as the reason for termination and noted that it followed a criminal records check.
Kashikov explained to Alaska Public Media that he had previously been arrested in Arizona in 2022 for blocking a public bus that allegedly refused to pick him up, although the charges were ultimately dropped.
Additionally, he noted a speeding ticket in Georgia that was also dismissed.
Nicolas Olano, another attorney for Kashikov from Nations Law Group, expressed concerns about the standard used to revoke Kashikov’s SEVIS status.
Olano stated, “That is not sufficient to revoke your status in the United States. It’s a different standard to revoke your visa. OK, they might have been right or could be right. That doesn’t matter at this point. What matters really is what is his status.”
The lawsuit is focused not on contesting the revocation of Kashikov’s student visa, which facilitated his entry into the U.S., but rather on the termination of his student status.
Kashikov’s legal team is requesting a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent federal officials from detaining him due to the revoked student status.
Woods indicated that the loss of Kashikov’s SEVIS status has resulted in irreparable harm.
She expressed hope that the judge will recognize this and grant a temporary restraining order, followed by a permanent injunction, allowing Kashikov to continue flying and instructing while this matter is resolved.
The lawsuit names Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and acting ICE director Todd Lyons as defendants.
In response to the ongoing legal proceedings, a senior DHS official mentioned, “Due to privacy concerns and visa confidentiality, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) generally does not comment on specific cases or actions taken under the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).”
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