Some members of Trinity’s international community say that the Trump administration’s immigration restrictions have heightened anxiety and contributed to a climate of uncertainty. While Trinity has not been directly affected, international students and scholars across the country have been denied reentry and have had their visas terminated for unclear reasons.
The International Student and Scholar Services office manages and advises international students and faculty at Trinity. According to their staff, ISSS has experienced heightened scrutiny since the Trump administration took office in January. Additionally, they’ve noticed that international students have also felt the weight of increasingly complex visa requirements and government monitoring.
Hajrah Kashmiri, assistant director for ISSS, acts as Trinity’s principal designated school official. Kashmiri said that the Trump administration has limited the mobility of international students and scholars, as evidenced by the increasingly complex reentry process.
“We make sure that the student is registered for the next semester and has valid documents, their visa is valid, and if it’s not valid, we point out to the student, ‘Hey, before you come back, you want to make sure you renew your visa. Do you have any grades that are missing?’” Kashmiri said.
Through SEVIS, a web-based software for maintaining information on nonimmigrant students, Trinity reports relevant updates to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. A report can be generated to see which records have been automatically terminated by immigration.
“Every day I go to check our list, and I am relieved. I’m so relieved that we don’t have any terminations,” Kashmiri said.
If an international student does not take 12 credit hours per semester and maintain a 2.0 GPA, they lose visa eligibility. While Trinity has yet to have any visa terminations, Kashmiri said that some students have had issues returning to the United States after traveling.
“What I have heard is that when students enter from the port of entry at the airport, they receive some trouble,” Kashmiri said. “So far, I’ve only heard from two students, but I’m sure that’s going to continue to happen.”
While Kashimiri said that it’s best for international students to remain in the country if feasible, those who choose to travel or return to their home countries should always keep a copy of their visa, passport and other immigration documentation on hand, in addition to their enrollment verification form.
One international student shared that they are concerned about the changes to visa requirements and restrictions introduced.
“I’ve heard a lot [about] students’, graduate students’ and professors’ visas being revoked and being sent back to their countries,” the student said. “Almost all of them were about Palestine. They were posting on social media about the war, and they were not supporting Israel, which is seen as antisemitic.”
On April 15, the student said that they received an email from ISSS warning international students to be mindful of their online activity. The email included a message from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, titled “DHS to Begin Screening Aliens’ Social Media Activity for Antisemitism.”
“They were saying, in this context, [I am] the alien. It is silencing us,” the student said. “I would never talk or post about Israel or Palestine after this point.”
Katsuo Nishikawa, associate professor of political science and director of the Center for International Engagement, said that he started as an international student himself, and over the course of 14 years, spent thousands of dollars to gain citizenship.
“Anybody who’s been an international student knows that there’s this really bad level of anxiety that you have,” Nishikawa said. “There’s multiple people, not even executives, but first persons of contact at the U.S. consulates abroad that have so much power and that can deny you entry, and you have no recourse.”
Though the ISSS is bound to follow federal policy, Nishikawa said that the Trinity community can continue to support international students.
“If you’re upset about this policy and you want to do something about it, your opportunity to step up as a Trinity community member is to invite your international friend, if they don’t have a place to stay, to come stay with you for a few weeks over the summer,” Nishikawa said. “This is the time to show up for our community.”
