President Donald Trump’s administration has become widely criticised for its harsh and widespread immigration policies, pushing many international students off of American college campuses and causing distress for those who remain.
At the University of Minnesota, international students are expressing great concern that these immigration policies are limiting their basic rights.
Many international students’ visas have been widely restricted or cancelled by the Trump administration in recent months, in what the administration has called an effort to safeguard national security. These actions, though, have created a fear among international students across America as they had their visas terminated for voicing their political beliefs publicly, according to NBC.
These fears are alive here at the University, according to one international student who chose to remain anonymous due to these concerns.
“Just having the fear that everything you can post politically online will lead to you getting your visa denied,” the student said. “I think that it’s a shame for the U.S. and the university’s reputation in the U.S.”
The international student added that they believe these policies are limiting their First Amendment rights through the fear they create.
“The U.S. always propagates free speech and everything, but he also criticized German politicians for free speech,” they said. “It doesn’t seem to uphold those standards anymore, at least not for international students.”
The fear of international students at the University having their visas revoked is not irrational.
Notably, the University saw Turkish student Doğukan Gunaydin detained by immigration officials in March for nearly two months as a result of a 2023 DWI arrest.
In addition, the Trump administration has paused visa interviews for potential international students as it considers expanding a process for vetting prospective students’ social media presence, according to Politico.
Actions like these are why Izham Razak, a recent University graduate and former international student, said Trump and his administration’s actions are controlling international students.
“The tightening role on international students is definitely an authoritative plan being done by the Trump administration,” Razak said. “As long as you are an international student, if you follow the rules and then follow the guidelines, you will not be affected.”
Razak said he, too, is fearful of his social media usage, as he believes any political statements could affect his visa status.
“I would not want to talk about U.S. administration issues because I don’t have a take on that and I don’t want it to jeopardize anything happening in the future, like entering the U.S or leaving the U.S.,” Razak said.
While it has induced fear and controversy, experts say it has not been ruled as government overreach. University law professor Jane Kirtley said ICE is legally allowed to deport international students and prohibit them from entering the U.S. due to their social media posts.
“Immigration can use social media postings as a basis to deport people and to refuse them entry into this country,” Kirtley said. “It’s a contentious issue.”
Kirtley said universities have felt the effects of the Trump administration’s cuts to funding because the administration is deciding whether to act on what it sees as hate speech, especially surrounding pro-Palestinian activism.
“I think the problem is that the Trump administration has been aggressively using things like government funding to threaten universities if they do not take action against students who are engaging in expressive activities that they think are antisemitic,” Kirtley said.