New ACLU Settlement Gives Two MSU Students Ability To Stay In America

MSU International Students Allowed To Stay After Immigration Settlement

Two Montana State University students can now focus on finishing their degrees instead of worrying about whether they would have to leave the country.

The ACLU of Montana recently announced that it had reached a settlement with the federal government that protects the two international students whose legal status was terminated in 2025, putting their education and futures in jeopardy.

Federal Student Status Terminations Led to Lawsuit

The situation started when the students' records in the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program database were terminated. That led the ACLU of Montana to file a lawsuit against the government, and a federal judge later issued an emergency order preventing the students from being deported while the case moved forward.

Now, both sides have reached an agreement.

Under the settlement, the students' records will remain listed as "active," allowing them to continue their studies in America. The government also agreed that the students would not face penalties tied to the previous termination of their student status, giving them a fresh start moving forward.

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Montana State University Students Can Continue Their Education

According to the ACLU of Montana, one of the students is currently working toward a doctorate at Montana State University, while the other was able to finish her master's degree thanks to the earlier court ruling that allowed her to remain in the country.

The settlement does not prevent the federal government from taking future action if there are legal reasons to do so. However, it does give these two students the ability to continue their education without the uncertainty they faced last year.

For the students involved, this marks the end of a stressful legal fight and allows them to get back to what brought them to Montana in the first place: earning their degrees.

Source: Daily Montanan