This is the first big move by the U.S. government to make immigration enforcement stricter. Their decision canceled the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records for all of those international students enrolled at schools in these Southern states. This decision, part of a broader crackdown on foreign nationals, notably affects institutions such as Texas A&M University, Florida International University, New Mexico State University, and others.
The SEVIS program serves as a federal tracking system. It serves as the United States’ primary system for monitoring foreign students and exchange visitors in the country. It uses these data to track their legal status, enrollment and compliance with U.S. laws. Once SEVIS records are terminated, an individual’s visa and legal status in the country are cancelled. This means that they can be put at risk of deportation with no due process.
A recent Texas Public Radio story revealed that 23 international students at Texas A&M University recently had their SEVIS records terminated. In much the same way, 18 international students at Florida International University were struck down. New Mexico State University was particularly hard hit, with nine academics losing their tenure. Six students were affected at University of North Carolina and at Middle Tennessee State University each. The effect fell on Rice University in Houston, where three students and two alumni had their records invalidated.
The administration’s use of SEVIS to surveil and control foreign students has come under substantial criticism. Advocates say that what they are seeing here is a continuation of a pattern of immigration enforcement against academic institutions. There’s no denying the Trump administration’s reputation for aggression. Since taking office, it has terminated the visas of hundreds of college and university academics.
It escalated when ICE agents detained recently a former postgraduate student of Columbia University. They canceled his student visa, which brought even further scrutiny to this case. This arrest happened in front of their home, calling into question the tactics used by the federal government to intimidate and enforce immigration measures. This incident has sparked debates regarding the implications of SEVIS record terminations for students who are otherwise contributing members of academic communities.
Megan Lacy, an immigration attorney at the International Rescue Committee, noted how serious these terminations are.
“A SEVIS record termination essentially terminates the individual’s legal status in the country.” – Megan Lacy
These policy changes have accomplished nothing but spreading fear among the international student body who have been left questioning their future within the United States. During his time in office, the Trump administration implemented an unauthorized zero-tolerance policy for immigration enforcement. For one, officials always emphasized their targeting of those they deemed to be risks to national security or public safety.
Senator Marco Rubio articulated this sentiment during a recent interview, stating:
“Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas.” – Marco Rubio
The impact of these moves stretches far beyond the students and scholars directly impacted by such actions. All of them have sunk years of time and hundreds of thousands of dollars into their US-based education. Now, they have to drop out of school or press legal action to remain in the country. Academic institutions are grappling with the consequences as they attempt to support their international populations while navigating evolving federal regulations.