Ohio State student sues Trump administration for revoking visa after protests
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A graduate student at The Ohio State University is suing the Trump administration, alleging his F-1 visa was revoked because of his participation in pro-Palestine protests.
Ahwar Sultan and the OSU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against President Donald Trump and high-ranking officials in the Department of State, Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security.
According to court documents, Sultan found out via email his visa had been terminated on April 3. The lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of unlawfully terminating Sultan's visa over protected political speech.
Sultan was arrested during a protest on April 25, 2024 after allegedly forming a protective barrier around students who were praying. The charges were dismissed and wiped from his record after he completed 10 hours of community service and attended a civil discourse workshop.
According to court documents, Sultan was a lawful F-1 visa holder and was in full compliance with immigration regulations.
Sultan was told ICE revoked his visa for "otherwise failing to maintain status -- individual identified in criminal records check and/or had their VISA revoked." Sultan's lawyers said he has received no other information about why his student status was terminated. Further, court documents allege his I-94 -- an international admissions number for visitors to the U.S. -- does not appear to be revoked in any form.
“This is a clear case of the government weaponizing immigration enforcement to punish protected political expression,” Rafael Urena, the lawyer representing Sultan, said in a statement. “Our client exercised his constitutional right to protest—and now faces the threat of deportation as a result.”
Sultan is one of nearly a dozen students at Ohio State who have had their visas revoked. NBC4 asked Ohio State last week if affected students had been involved with pro-Palestine protests, but OSU officials said they could not disclose personal information.
Students for Justice in Palestine alleges members like Sultan fear for their safety, and the organization said it has to divert resources to help protect members' immigration statuses. According to court documents, Sultan is now "living in fear" that he will be detained by ICE.
Ohio State President Ted Carter said Ohio State has not been formally notified of any of the visa revocations and is working to find solutions for impacted students. The lawsuit alleges the Trump administration also violated Sultan's due process rights by not alerting the university, limiting his ability to respond.
NBC4 asked OSU if Carter addressed the concerns during a Monday visit to the White House, but an OSU representative said they would not discuss Carter's private conversations with Trump or Vice President J.D. Vance, an OSU alumnus.