American News

International Students Facing Visa Removals

During the Trump administration's push on immigration, the majority of the international student community has begun to live in a state of fear after more than 1,800 students had their visas taken away this year. What was supposed to be a focused issue on terrorism and antisemitism grew to include students who were involved in minor infractions, past misdemeanors, or, in some cases, no clear issue at all. Students are now at risk of deportation, leaving academic programs in which they are a part of only to find a future filled with uncertainty. 

Kseniia Petrova was a Harvard researcher who was put away in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) jail after a customs issue of her not declaring the frog embryos she was carrying. Although she reported it to be an honest mistake, Petrova’s visa was revoked, and now she is to be deported back to Russia, which in turn may lead to her arrest for her public opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Petrova’s case was only the beginning and revealed a future of uncertainty for many students across the country. At UC San Diego, 35 students have had their F-1 visas canceled, leading to one student deportation. This year alone, over 1,000 international students have lost their visa status, and while the U.S. government reports that these cancellations are for visa violations, many students have not actually been informed of the specific reason for their revocation, even when pleading for answers. 

Doğukan Günaydin, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, was recently put in detention due to a past drunk driving charge. Although DUIs may be the reason for visa withdrawal, immigration lawyer David Wilson reports that in practice, this leads to deportation very rarely. The system’s unpredictability has put many students in fear, unsure that any run-in with the law may lead to a visa removal. 

The speed at which visas are being revoked and the level of secrecy among the country issues a need for greater transparency and reform. The legal community and academic groups worry that the present system is what is causing the unnecessary fear and confusion. The lack of transparency these students face remains an issue for all students trying to pursue an education.

Trump vs Colleges 

In just 13 weeks of his presidency, Donald Trump has placed higher education institutions on edge by using billions of dollars in federal research grants as leverage to push his political agenda. This aggressive campaign targets what he calls “woke” culture on college campuses, using funding as a tool to impose his conservative values.

Traditionally, federal grants for scientific research and higher education have remained politically neutral. However, under Trump’s administration, that has changed. Stop orders were issued, and funding was revoked without any formal announcements or clear legal justification. These actions affected elite universities such as Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Harvard and Columbia have each had approximately $400 million in research funds frozen following investigations initiated by a federal antisemitism task force. These funds supported a wide range of vital research, from cancer and tuberculosis to environmental health. Faculty members warn that these disruptions could seriously affect globally impactful scientific work. 

Several federal agencies, like the Departments of Education, Justice, Defense, Energy, and Health and Human Services, have participated in this campaign, often bypassing any traditional legal channels. In many cases, universities have not been allowed to present their case or appeal decisions before their funding is frozen. 

Legal experts argue that this strategy undermines due process and potentially violates federal contract law. By statute, only certain authorized officers have the power to terminate grants, and it remains unclear whether those officers were involved in these recent cases. The lack of transparency has triggered legal challenges from universities and higher education associations. The implications go beyond just funding losses. There is growing concern about the breakdown in the long-standing partnership between the federal government and research institutions, a relationship critical to the U.S.’s leadership in innovation.

Until more definitive action is taken, universities must stand firm in their core values and defend academic freedom against the threat of financial retaliation. For now, the future of research and higher education remains in a troubling state of uncertainty.