TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 7, 2025

Three University of Tennessee at Knoxville students and one former student working on campus are at risk of deportation due to changes made by the federal government to their immigration status, according to an email Chancellor Donde Plowman sent Friday to the campus community. The university discovered the changes in a federal immigration database that processes documents for international students and exchange visitors, Knox News reports. The status change occurred after the students were identified in a criminal records check, making them ineligible to be enrolled or employed at the school and placing them at risk of deportation. UT found one student had been granted judicial diversion for a property crime, and another had been charged with DUI. The university has not determined the cause of the status change for the other two individuals. "The Center for Global Engagement’s International Student and Scholar Services is working to support these individuals as we continue to work to fully understand their situations," Plowman said in the email.