Recent visa crackdowns by the Trump administration have created turmoil for thousands of international students and the U.S. colleges that host them. According to the New York Times, the administration has revoked more than 1,500 student visas across 222 schools. Students at institutions ranging from Harvard and Stanford to public universities like Ohio State and the University of Maryland are affected.
Many of the visa cancellations have come with little or no explanation, and some students are fighting back in court. In several lawsuits, students claim the Department of Homeland Security acted without proper justification or due process. Don't Miss: ‘Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones.
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, representing students at Wayne State University and the University of Michigan, argued in one case that DHS has adopted a nationwide policy of mass terminations. Why These Students Matter to U.S. Colleges International students play a crucial financial role in American higher education.
According to international educators association NAFSA, they pumped nearly $44 billion into the U.S. economy last year and supported 378,000 jobs. They also often pay full tuition, which helps subsidize costs for domestic students and supports university operations. Gaurav Khanna, an economist at the University of California, San Diego, told the Times that this funding helped many public universities stay afloat during the Great Recession.
"To keep doors open for local students, you need to let in more international students," he said. The current crackdown, however, could lead to a dramatic drop in enrollment. Chris R. Glass, a professor at Boston College, estimates that the total number of international students could fall below 1 million for the first time in a decade.
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Xiaofeng Wan, a former Amherst College admissions officer now working in China, told the Times that parents are questioning whether it's safe to send their children to the U.S. "It's an unprecedented situation that we've never seen before," he said.
