Story perspectives

ICE Detains Mississippi Brothers Over Voided F-1 Visas

5/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

ICE detained the brothers on April 21, 2026 in Diamondhead, Mississippi after they transferred schools, voiding their F-1 visas.
ICE said the transfer violated their student-visa status, making them removable, and noted that attorney Jeremy Litton warned transfers can jeopardize status and limit options without asylum.
Rep. Mike Ezell and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said their offices are monitoring the case while the community praised the brothers as students and athletes.

History

Historical Context

Effective April 1997, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act signed by President Bill Clinton expanded removal authority for non-immigrant visa holders and created expedited removal. Its stricter standards lifted annual deportations from about 50,000 to over 200,000 by the early 2000s, a framework ICE still applies to students like the Litton brothers. Rep. Mike Ezell and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith now question its student impact.

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Story summary

ICE detained the brothers on April 21, 2026 in Diamondhead, Mississippi after they transferred schools, voiding their F-1 visas.
ICE said the transfer violated their student-visa status, making them removable, and noted that attorney Jeremy Litton warned transfers can jeopardize status and limit options without asylum.
Rep. Mike Ezell and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said their offices are monitoring the case while the community praised the brothers as students and athletes.

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