Ema Alice: A University at Buffalo graduate’s visa was revoked over a traffic ticket. He is now suing the U.S. government to return to the life he built here.
Kiran Siddapura Manjunatha is A University at Buffalo graduate. He is taking on the federal government and has filed a lawsuit after his visa was revoked earlier this month. Siddapura Manjunatha graduated with a finance degree in February 2023 and had just started working at Citibank here in Western New York. Siddapura Manjunatha tells 2 On Your Side immigration officials never told him why his visa was revoked. The only offense on his record is a misdemeanor charge for driving without a valid license in Indiana four years ago.
He left the country voluntarily on April 4, just two days after learning the U.S. government canceled his visa. Now, he’s hoping to come back the right way. “I’ve faced a lot of things in my life. So this is another thing I am ok to face. It affects a lot mentally, but I always try to be strong. I’m hoping to get some resolution,” Siddapura Manjunatha said.
Kiran’s lawyer, Jesse Bless, said immigration officials have reactivated visas for half of his clients in similar situations, 15 out of 30. But Kiran’s case remains unresolved. He’s hoping for a potential announcement, possibly this week, but says there’s no clear system.
Siddapura Manjunatha hopes his lawsuit sends a message, not just for himself, but for other students who followed the rules and still had their futures pulled out from under them.
[Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.]
BP/SM
