A Metropolitan State University student is suing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleging the federal agency unlawfully terminated his legal student status due to a prior drunken driving conviction.
Rattanand Ratsantiboon, a nursing student from Thailand, alleges ICE canceled his student status on March 28 and electronically recorded the reason as “Otherwise failing to maintain status - student identified in criminal records check.” In his suit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court of Minnesota, Ratsantiboon said his criminal record does not meet the standard for revocation.
“Minor misdemeanor offenses do not meet this threshold for termination based on criminal history,” his lawsuit argues.
Ratsantiboon faced back-to-back driving-related offenses in 2018. He was first cited for careless driving in May that year and later paid a fine for the petty misdemeanor. Months later, the state convicted him of driving while impaired in a separate case and sentenced him to probation.
Ratsantiboon was not aware his student status had been terminated until March 31, when Metropolitan State University officials informed him via email that ICE canceled his status over the “criminal records check,” the lawsuit said. The government has yet to provide information about the termination, the suit continues, which he argues is a violation of due process.
Ratsantiboon asked the court to declare the termination as unlawful and to order the federal government to retroactively reinstate his student status.
The Minnesota Star Tribune has reached out to ICE for comment.
Ratsantiboon, who entered the U.S. in 2014 to attend school, is one of several students across Minnesota who have recently seen their legal statuses revoked. At least 27 international students from 13 Minnesota colleges and universities have had their visa revoked or immigration records terminated in the past week. One student from Mankato was detained by federal authorities.
