Last-Tear Poa of LSU files lawsuit against US immigration authorities

LSU Women's basketball player Poa of the last tear has filed a lawsuit Middle District of Louisiana against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The decision is made according to Poas P-1A ​​athlete The request was rejected, a source told On3.

Court documents are currently sealed, but the case file appears in the docket system of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. The Melbourne, AustraliaThe American native joined the LSU team in 2022 after developing into one of the best junior college players in the country Northwest Florida State College. Names are specifically named in the lawsuit Ur Mendoza Jaddouthe director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Poa helped LSU win its first women's basketball national title in the 2022-23 season. Last season, she averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 assists per game and had 31 tackles over the course of the season. Because she is an Australian citizen and on one F-1 student visaParticipation in NIL activities is significantly more complicated.

Poa is represented by immigration lawyers Ksenia Maiorova And Amy Maldonado. Poa was forced to turn down NIL opportunities despite touting more than 200,000 social media followers. The LSU star's application to become a P-1A athlete was rejected on the grounds that her future events would not be internationally recognized. Around 12.3 million viewers tuned in to the show last spring Elite Eightt matchup between LSU and Iowa.

A source told On3 that Poa's absence from a recent LSU women's basketball exhibition game had nothing to do with the lawsuit.

U.S. immigration regulations prohibit international students from participating in employment in the country on an F-1 student visa. F-1 visas only provide for limited types of employment authorizations, most of which must be tied to the degree the athlete is pursuing.

As a result, it has been extremely difficult for international athletes – approximately 12% of Division I are international athletes – to legally participate in NIL in the United States. Typical NIL deals require an athlete to provide a service in exchange for compensation, which conflicts with immigration policy.