A federal judge in Wisconsin blocked the Trump administration from revoking the visa of an engineering student from India.

Judge William Conley blocked the administration from taking action against 21-year-old Krish Lal Isserdasani, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison whose visa was terminated. This was one of the first legal wins for students whose visas were revoked by the administration.

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Conley issued a temporary restraining order against the Department of Homeland Security to prevent them from revoking Isserdasani’s visa. The DHS is also temporarily blocked from imposing further consequences on Isserdasani, including deportation, until a preliminary hearing is held on April 28. 

“He was given no warning, no opportunity to explain or defend himself, and no chance to correct any potential misunderstanding before his F-1 student visa record was terminated,” Conley said.

The lawsuit also focused on the “irreparable harm” that could be done to Isserdasani as his authorization to remain in the United States ends on May 2, eight days before his graduation. 

“Given the amount of Isserdasani’s educational expenses and potential losses from having to leave the United States without obtaining his degree, the court concludes that Isserdasani credibly demonstrates that he faces irreparable harm for which he has no adequate remedy at law in the absence of injunctive relief,” Conley said. 

“So far, defendants have offered nothing to suggest Isserdasani is undeserving of a degree after years of effort and payment of tuition, much less should be deported from the United States before completing his degree,” Conley added.

The ruling was delivered after attorney Shabnam Lotfi filed a lawsuit on behalf of Isserdasani against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Todd Lyons. The lawsuit was joined by Hamidreza Khademi, a 34-year-old from Iran studying at Iowa State University who had his visa revoked in a similar manner.

Isserdasani said he was told “out of the blue” that his visa was terminated because he was identified in a criminal records check, according to the lawsuit. He was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct late last year after he and a group of friends got into an argument with another group after leaving a bar. Isserdasani said he thought the matter was resolved as the district attorney did not prosecute the case.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT AT US COLLEGES UNDER FIRE AMID VISA REVOCATIONS

Conley said because Isserdasani was not convicted of a crime, his claim of wrongful visa termination had a “reasonable likelihood of success” in court.

Fifteen other international students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison also had their visas terminated. Across the country, more than 600 international students and recent graduates have had their visas revoked or legal status altered.