WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has reversed its decision to terminate visas for hundreds of foreign students, a move that had sparked widespread panic and legal challenges across US universities.

US Justice Department attorney Elizabeth Kurlan informed a federal court that immigration authorities are now working on a new framework for reviewing and terminating visas for international students.

The announcement came after more than 100 lawsuits were filed by students who suddenly lost their legal right to study in the US.

An estimated 1,800 students and 280 universities were affected, according to a tally by Inside Higher Ed.

The visa terminations appeared to disproportionately impact students who had participated in political protests or had minor previous criminal charges, such as traffic infractions.

Previously, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration would terminate the status of individuals whose actions were deemed counter to US interests.

The controversial policy triggered fear and confusion across the higher education sector, with some students choosing to leave the US preemptively to avoid detention or deportation.

In a federal court hearing on Friday, the Justice Department stated that students' records would be restored in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), the government database that monitors compliance for foreign students.

However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) retains the authority to terminate SEVIS records if students fail to maintain their nonimmigrant status or engage in unlawful activities.

Attorneys for the impacted students have argued that the visa revocations violated their legal rights and severely disrupted their education. Many students reportedly had their SEVIS records restored in recent days.

"This is a reprieve for many students who have had their status reinstated," said Elora Mukherjee, director of the Immigrants' Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School. "But this doesn't mean this ordeal is over for those who had their records terminated." — Agencies