Indians constitute 50% of the 327 cases in which the United States has revoked student visas since the Donald Trump administration took charge, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

The Department of State and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are “aggressively targeting international students, including those without a history of protest, for visa revocation, termination of their status, and removal”, the American Immigration Lawyers Association stated in a policy brief.

It pointed out that the United States was screening social media posts of student visa holders using Artificial Intelligence under the “catch and revoke” programme.

The national association of attorneys and law professors said that the data was collected by lawyers, students and university employees.

The Congress party on Thursday said this trend was a “cause for concern” and asked if New Delhi would address the matter with Washington.

“The reasons for revocation are random and unclear,” said party leader Jairam Ramesh. “There is growing fear and apprehension.”

On Thursday, the Union Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Indian embassy and consulate were “in touch with the students to provide support”.

“We are aware that several Indian students have received communication from the US Government regarding their F-1 visa status, which happens to be the student visa,” said ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a press briefing. “We are looking into the matter.”

On March 27, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington may have already revoked more than 300 visas, the lawyers’ association noted.

“Since that time, hundreds more students have had their visas revoked because of encounters with law enforcement, many of which did not result in a conviction,” it added.

The association stated that the administrative actions are “unprecedented, with a wide-ranging impact and significant due process concerns, as well as a number of open legal questions”.

After India, Chinese students at 14% constituted the largest group who had their visas revoked, noted the policy brief. Other significant countries include South Korea, Nepal and Bangladesh.

A total of 50% of visa revocations impacted those who were on Optional Practical Training, which means they had graduated and were employed in the United States.

Of the total cases, only two students reported any history of engaging in political protests. “While 86% reported some level of interaction with the police, 33% had their case dismissed, were never charged, or were never prosecuted,” said the lawyers’ association.

Two of the students who had reported interaction with the police are complainants in domestic violence cases. Some of the others had speeding tickets and parking-related violations.

“Based on these reports, it is clear that transparency, oversight and accountability are needed to prevent further arbitrary visa revocations and SEVIS [Student and Exchange Visitor Information System] record terminations,” said the association. “Finally, there should be a way for students to appeal SEVIS terminations that are inaccurate without facing a gap in their employment or requiring the university to be involved, given the sheer number of those impacted.”

The termination of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System record means an international student or exchange visitor is no longer maintaining their visa status.