The first time Jelena Liu’s visa was revoked, she missed the email.
She landed at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport after returning from winter break in China, only to be stopped at customs. Liu said she was kept in a holding cell at the airport without her glasses, luggage or phone for two days before being sent home.
Liu, a second-year graduate student at IU Indianapolis, had her F-1 status revoked in 2018 after she dropped below the 12 credit hours required to maintain student status. She said it was because her degree adviser recommended she ease her courseload after she changed her major from supply chain management to media arts and science.
Liu said she received an email from the government regarding her status cancelation, but that she missed it. However, she was able to communicate with the Office of International Affairs at IU Indy and apply for a new visa, which was reissued to her in 2018.
She completed her undergraduate studies in 2022 and returned to IU Indy for her graduate degree in Human-Computer Interaction in January 2024. Since her visa was revoked the first time, Liu said she’s checked her email every day.
In April 2025, she received an email from the Director of International Student and School Services at IU Indy, notifying her that her F-1 status and SEVIS record was terminated by the Department of Homeland Security. The reason for termination, according to court documents, was listed as “OTHERWISE FAILING TO MAINTAIN STATUS — Individual identified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked.”
According to court documents, Liu had no criminal record, was in good standing at IU Indy and complied completely with her student status.
“The first thing coming up in my mind is, why me?” Liu said. “I don’t understand.”
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System record is a database used to track students’ compliance with their nonimmigrant statuses. It allows the school to upload the students’ enrollment and employment information. The record’s termination ends the students’ legal status, which can put them at risk of detention or deportation.
Liu said she got no notification — not a single email or phone call —- from the government that her status had changed, unlike the previous time.
Liu said she didn’t drive or get tickets from the police.
“I do everything right. But, (it) just suddenly happened. So it’s like a nightmare for me,” Liu said.
The termination of Liu’s visa occurred simultaneously with the cancellation of visas or student statuses for thousands of international students nationwide, including a small number at IU, in March and April.
Liu said she used the OIA website to find a lawyer and reach out for help. The lawyer ended up connecting Liu with the American Civil Liberties Union.
“I just don’t want to give up,” Liu said. “I want to know why it was being revoked.”
The school couldn’t give her any explanation. On April 15, the ACLU of Indiana filed a lawsuit against the DHS on behalf of Liu and six other international students in Indiana who had their visas revoked. They asked for a temporary restraining order to protect the students from detention or deportation, but it was denied April 17.
Liu said at the time, her mental health was getting progressively worse. She said she slept less, and as she focused on the case, her coursework took the back burner. Despite all the stress, she said the IU Indy community was supportive and told her she could finish her classes online if she ended up having to return to China.
Liu said her professors helped her out, sending their regards and extending assignment due dates for her.
Ten days after the ACLU filed the lawsuit, the Trump administration announced it would restore students’ legal status, at least while it developed a new framework for termination. The ACLU of Indiana said in a press release April 29 that all of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit had their status restored. The lawsuit is still ongoing, and Liu plans to continue her studies in the fall.
Liu said she was still concerned about the situation. Still, she plans to stay in the country over the summer and is thinking about going on trips with friends to visit other states while she still can. She said she was grateful for the people at IU Indy and the ACLU.
“Each of them, in their own way, helped me through a time when everything felt uncertain,” Liu told the IDS in an email. “For the first time, I truly felt like I was part of the IUI family. And I’m honored to walk the same campus as all of them.”
