West Virginia (WOAY)- The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia (ACLU-WV) is stepping in to help a West Virginia University student who may be deported just weeks before completing his degree.
Sajawal Ali Sohail, a 25-year-old computer science student from Pakistan, was recently notified by email that his student visa had been terminated and revoked.
The reason given for the termination is that his name appeared in a criminal database despite never being convicted of any crime.
The situation stems from a 2023 phone scam that targeted Sohail’s family, involving a scammer who contacted them, offering to cover Sajawal’s tuition costs.
The family accepted the offer and repaid the money as agreed, only to discover the scammer had used stolen credit cards to make the payment.
The fraudulent transactions triggered a report to WVU police.
Initially, Sohail was charged in the case.
However, authorities later determined he and his family were victims.
They fully cooperated with investigators in tracking down the real perpetrator.
Despite being cleared, the visa revocation has left Sohail at risk of deportation.
Now, the ACLU is suing on his behalf, asking a judge to reinstate his student status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
The ACLU is also requesting a temporary restraining order to prevent any further action that could force Sohail to leave the country.
