Judge restores legal status for Ohio State student suing Trump

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- An Ohio State University student's legal status has been reinstated by a federal judge, who ruled on Friday that his arrest at a pro-Palestine protest was not grounds to revoke his visa.

Graduate student Ahwar Sultan sued President Donald Trump and federal immigration officials when his visa was abruptly revoked two weeks ago. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered Sultan's lawful status as a student to be reinstated as the lawsuit continues and said federal immigration services will need to prove why they believe his visa should be terminated.

Sultan, who is from India, believes his visa was revoked because he was arrested in April 2024 at a pro-Palestine protest. The charges associated with that arrest were dismissed and later expunged from his record, and Chutkan said they were not grounds for visa termination.

Under the ruling, Sultan's status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) has been returned to "active" from "terminated." The change means Sultan's student record is considered valid once more, and indicates he is in good standing.

Chutkan said U.S. immigration services should be prepared to explain Sultan's visa status and whether they still intend to initiate removal procedures against him at the next court proceeding. She said his arrest alone would not be considered grounds for removal.

According to a court transcript provided by Sultan's lawyers, Chutkan told the lawyer representing the U.S. government this week that Sultan was put in an impossible situation. Further, she questioned immigration officials' defense, saying not only was it unclear for Sultan, it was unclear to her.

OSU police charge president of pro-Palestine student group after Sultan hosts press conference

The announcement came one day after Sultan's lawyers hosted a news conference regarding student visa terminations on OSU's campus. The speakers included Sultan, his lawyer Jana Al-Akhras, and Jineen Musa, a student and president of Students for Justice in Palestine. Al-Akhras alleged after the conference concluded, all three were followed by university police.

According to a university spokesperson, a student was issued a summons by OSU police for criminal trespass after "repeatedly being asked to abide by the university space standards." The concern came from Musa using a microphone, as amplified noise is restricted on campus. Al-Akhras said Musa immediately complied and continued without the microphone.

NBC4 was present at the event, and video shows an officer walked over and spoke to Musa, after which she asked him to repeat himself. Journalists in the crowd called for the officer to speak louder, and Musa offered him the microphone. According to the video, the officer said if Musa continued to use amplified sound, she would be issued the summons.

"I will be issued a summons for trespassing if I continue using this mic," Musa said into the microphone, clarifying the officer's comments for the crowd. "Over a press conference for a student that had his visa revoked. This is what this university stands for. Shameful."

Musa finished the conference without using the microphone. Al-Akhras alleged after the crowd dispersed, she, Musa and Sultan were all followed by police. Al-Akhras said she was detained for 25 minutes and told she would be similarly charged, but a university spokesperson told her she and Sultan would not be. A university spokesperson told NBC4 only one person was facing charges.

Al-Akhras said the detainment was "unsettling;" as an OSU graduate, she had always felt safe on campus before. In a press release, Sultan's legal team said law students are preparing a response to the charge against Musa, imploring the university to drop its charges.

The decision was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia around the same time the Trump administration announced a turnaround to reinstate many students' SEVIS statuses as "active." Al-Akras, said she was told that ICE is currently developing a policy to revoke SEVIS status for students, but until they finalize the policy, students' statuses will be returned to "active" status.

OSU Spokesperson Chris Booker said the university is waiting to hear more about the reported reinstatement of students' SEVIS statuses.

"While this appears to be a positive development, the university is eager to receive more details on the new SEVIS policy framework that is mentioned in numerous reports," Booker said.

Sultan is one of at least 12 Ohio State students who have had their visas revoked. It is not yet known if the Department of Justice's announcement will lead to the reinstatement of their visas.