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.

On June 18, the Board of Regents voted to approve a budget that includes widespread cuts to University of Minnesota programs and tuition increases across several campuses. These budget cuts, which include a 7% cut across University programs, have the potential to cause great harm to student job opportunities at the University throughout the state. 

David Munkvold, the financial secretary of the University’s Graduate Labor Union, said the University’s administration made these budget changes due to a lack of state funding, which has led them to pursue other, more poorly received financial opportunities.

“The administration is looking for alternative sources of income, since the state isn’t giving the University enough money,” Munkvold said. “Some of those are quite morally dubious, including partnering with weapons manufacturers and private companies that profit off of warfare.” 

Munkvold criticized the University’s recent decisions and emphasized that the University needs to pay workers, rather than having a large number of administrative workers who move funding away from student jobs. 

“We believe that the University could be doing a lot better job of managing its resources, to actually pay workers rather than having an oversized kind of administrative class of workers,” Munkvold said.

Along with these widespread cuts, the Board plans to decrease research funding by 10.2%, according to the Board of Regents docket material. 

Many recent graduates say they struggle with finding job opportunities at the University. 

A recent graduate, who chose to stay anonymous due to potential loss of job opportunities, said the job market on campus for both undergraduate and graduate students has been scarce. 

They said they applied to multiple research jobs after graduating in the spring, and haven’t even heard back from most of them.

“There was a job that I applied to, and I don’t know if I got rejected from it, but then I saw it was just reposted,” they said. “You can just tell a lot of the employment stuff is just weird.”

They said they got rejected from some of the research job listings they applied for, which required only a high school diploma.

“The qualifications, especially for the ones that I applied for, weren’t extreme,” they said. 

Even with the loss of opportunity, some members of the University community see the cuts as beneficial. 

In a statement, University President Rebecca Cunningham said she believes the budget cuts will help staff and faculty, as some will see raises and salary increases.

“We have also been moved by calls from the University senate and our faculty and staff who have felt the impacts of soaring inflation,” Cunningham said. “In response to those calls, while other institutions have cut or frozen salaries and benefits, we made the important decision to invest in our people by allocating a significant pool for salary increases.”  

Some University members aren’t sold. At the June 18 meeting, Regent Robyn Gulley criticized the budget decisions, claiming the budget plan does nothing to support student workers across the University’s system.

“We would be addressing the subminimum wage for student workers on the Twin Cities campus,” Gulley said. “Whenever we’ve pit workers against each other, the solution isn’t right.”

These budget cuts are not just hurting jobs. The University plans to close and sell the Les Bolstad Golf Course, which employed many student workers, due to financial concerns, according to Fox 9. 

In a statement, the University acknowledged the nearly century-old course’s history and impact, but  said keeping the land is no longer financially feasible. 

“This decision reflects careful consideration and was made in light of today’s challenging financial environment,” the University said in a statement “As a public university, we have a responsibility to ensure that our land and resources are aligned with our core mission: supporting students, advancing research and serving the state of Minnesota.” 

In an email statement to the Minnesota Daily, course staff member and incoming senior Elizabeth Morris criticized the potential sale, saying the land could still be used for educational pursuits. She said the course supported her in many different ways as she was battling a brain tumor and helped her connect with the community better. 

“I treasure the golf course and will be truly disappointed if the University disposes of the land without considering any other use for it,” Morris said.

On June 18, the Board of Regents voted to approve a budget that includes widespread cuts to University of Minnesota programs and tuition increases across several campuses. These budget cuts, which include a 7% cut across University programs, have the potential to cause great harm to student job opportunities at the University throughout the state. 

David Munkvold, the financial secretary of the University’s Graduate Labor Union, said the University’s administration made these budget changes due to a lack of state funding, which has led them to pursue other, more poorly received financial opportunities.

“The administration is looking for alternative sources of income, since the state isn’t giving the University enough money,” Munkvold said. “Some of those are quite morally dubious, including partnering with weapons manufacturers and private companies that profit off of warfare.” 

Munkvold criticized the University’s recent decisions and emphasized that the University needs to pay workers, rather than having a large number of administrative workers who move funding away from student jobs. 

“We believe that the University could be doing a lot better job of managing its resources, to actually pay workers rather than having an oversized kind of administrative class of workers,” Munkvold said.

Along with these widespread cuts, the Board plans to decrease research funding by 10.2%, according to the Board of Regents docket material. 

Many recent graduates say they struggle with finding job opportunities at the University. 

A recent graduate, who chose to stay anonymous due to potential loss of job opportunities, said the job market on campus for both undergraduate and graduate students has been scarce. 

They said they applied to multiple research jobs after graduating in the spring, and haven’t even heard back from most of them.

“There was a job that I applied to, and I don’t know if I got rejected from it, but then I saw it was just reposted,” they said. “You can just tell a lot of the employment stuff is just weird.”

They said they got rejected from some of the research job listings they applied for, which required only a high school diploma.

“The qualifications, especially for the ones that I applied for, weren’t extreme,” they said. 

Even with the loss of opportunity, some members of the University community see the cuts as beneficial. 

In a statement, University President Rebecca Cunningham said she believes the budget cuts will help staff and faculty, as some will see raises and salary increases.

“We have also been moved by calls from the University senate and our faculty and staff who have felt the impacts of soaring inflation,” Cunningham said. “In response to those calls, while other institutions have cut or frozen salaries and benefits, we made the important decision to invest in our people by allocating a significant pool for salary increases.”  

Some University members aren’t sold. At the June 18 meeting, Regent Robyn Gulley criticized the budget decisions, claiming the budget plan does nothing to support student workers across the University’s system.

“We would be addressing the subminimum wage for student workers on the Twin Cities campus,” Gulley said. “Whenever we’ve pit workers against each other, the solution isn’t right.”

These budget cuts are not just hurting jobs. The University plans to close and sell the Les Bolstad Golf Course, which employed many student workers, due to financial concerns, according to Fox 9. 

In a statement, the University acknowledged the nearly century-old course’s history and impact, but  said keeping the land is no longer financially feasible. 

“This decision reflects careful consideration and was made in light of today’s challenging financial environment,” the University said in a statement “As a public university, we have a responsibility to ensure that our land and resources are aligned with our core mission: supporting students, advancing research and serving the state of Minnesota.” 

In an email statement to the Minnesota Daily, course staff member and incoming senior Elizabeth Morris criticized the potential sale, saying the land could still be used for educational pursuits. She said the course supported her in many different ways as she was battling a brain tumor and helped her connect with the community better. 

“I treasure the golf course and will be truly disappointed if the University disposes of the land without considering any other use for it,” Morris said.

The Gender Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life at the University of Minnesota is hosting Pride events this month, open to the public and campus community.

The GSC will host a Trans Teach-In event at the University Recreation and Wellness Center on June 25, in collaboration with the Women’s Center and the Office of Equity and Diversity Education. The event will be accessible via Zoom. 

Rick Hoops, the program coordinator and admin specialist of the center, said the Trans Teach-In will feature a variety of speakers and presentations on research topics, including recognizing misinformation, transgender sanctuary cities and Black womanhood. 

“It is kind of an exploration of a couple of special topics that will get us to thinking about research methodologies and how to identify misinformation,” Hoops said. “The first part of the presentation is me talking about my own research for my masters degree that I just finished  where I surveyed queer performances in the Twin Cities to just see about their experiences.” 

The center is additionally hosting an ice cream social on June 30 at the St. Paul Student Center lawn from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

Hoops said the center decided to host their ice cream event at the St. Paul campus to be more inclusive of University students and faculty. 

“We do that on the St. Paul campus, particularly because we know that the St. Paul campus is often kind of forgotten,” Hoops said. “We know that there are queer staff faculty and students over there, and so many offices that exist on the East Bank kind of stay on the East Bank.” 

The University is planning to host an event booth at Twin Cities Pride Festival, June 28-29, at Loring Park, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m.

The center is planning to host book club events for the remainder of the summer, according to Hoops. 

Riley said GSC events are open to anyone, even if they’re not part of the LGBTQ+ community.  

“Folks will say, ‘I’m straight, can I come if I want to learn?’” Riley said. “The answer is always that these events and things are open to anyone and everyone who has invested in the uplifting of those communities.”

The Gender Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life at the University of Minnesota is hosting Pride events this month, open to the public and campus community.

The GSC will host a Trans Teach-In event at the University Recreation and Wellness Center on June 25, in collaboration with the Women’s Center and the Office of Equity and Diversity Education. The event will be accessible via Zoom. 

Rick Hoops, the program coordinator and admin specialist of the center, said the Trans Teach-In will feature a variety of speakers and presentations on research topics, including recognizing misinformation, transgender sanctuary cities and Black womanhood. 

“It is kind of an exploration of a couple of special topics that will get us to thinking about research methodologies and how to identify misinformation,” Hoops said. “The first part of the presentation is me talking about my own research for my masters degree that I just finished  where I surveyed queer performances in the Twin Cities to just see about their experiences.” 

The center is additionally hosting an ice cream social on June 30 at the St. Paul Student Center lawn from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

Hoops said the center decided to host their ice cream event at the St. Paul campus to be more inclusive of University students and faculty. 

“We do that on the St. Paul campus, particularly because we know that the St. Paul campus is often kind of forgotten,” Hoops said. “We know that there are queer staff faculty and students over there, and so many offices that exist on the East Bank kind of stay on the East Bank.” 

The University is planning to host an event booth at Twin Cities Pride Festival, June 28-29, at Loring Park, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m.

The center is planning to host book club events for the remainder of the summer, according to Hoops. 

Riley said GSC events are open to anyone, even if they’re not part of the LGBTQ+ community.  

“Folks will say, ‘I’m straight, can I come if I want to learn?’” Riley said. “The answer is always that these events and things are open to anyone and everyone who has invested in the uplifting of those communities.”

The Gender Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life at the University of Minnesota is hosting Pride events this month, open to the public and campus community.

The GSC will host a Trans Teach-In event at the University Recreation and Wellness Center on June 25, in collaboration with the Women’s Center and the Office of Equity and Diversity Education. The event will be accessible via Zoom. 

Rick Hoops, the program coordinator and admin specialist of the center, said the Trans Teach-In will feature a variety of speakers and presentations on research topics, including recognizing misinformation, transgender sanctuary cities and Black womanhood. 

“It is kind of an exploration of a couple of special topics that will get us to thinking about research methodologies and how to identify misinformation,” Hoops said. “The first part of the presentation is me talking about my own research for my masters degree that I just finished  where I surveyed queer performances in the Twin Cities to just see about their experiences.” 

The center is additionally hosting an ice cream social on June 30 at the St. Paul Student Center lawn from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

Hoops said the center decided to host their ice cream event at the St. Paul campus to be more inclusive of University students and faculty. 

“We do that on the St. Paul campus, particularly because we know that the St. Paul campus is often kind of forgotten,” Hoops said. “We know that there are queer staff faculty and students over there, and so many offices that exist on the East Bank kind of stay on the East Bank.” 

The University is planning to host an event booth at Twin Cities Pride Festival, June 28-29, at Loring Park, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m.

The center is planning to host book club events for the remainder of the summer, according to Hoops. 

Riley said GSC events are open to anyone, even if they’re not part of the LGBTQ+ community.  

“Folks will say, ‘I’m straight, can I come if I want to learn?’” Riley said. “The answer is always that these events and things are open to anyone and everyone who has invested in the uplifting of those communities.”

The Gender Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life at the University of Minnesota is hosting Pride events this month, open to the public and campus community.

The GSC will host a Trans Teach-In event at the University Recreation and Wellness Center on June 25, in collaboration with the Women’s Center and the Office of Equity and Diversity Education. The event will be accessible via Zoom. 

Rick Hoops, the program coordinator and admin specialist of the center, said the Trans Teach-In will feature a variety of speakers and presentations on research topics, including recognizing misinformation, transgender sanctuary cities and Black womanhood. 

“It is kind of an exploration of a couple of special topics that will get us to thinking about research methodologies and how to identify misinformation,” Hoops said. “The first part of the presentation is me talking about my own research for my masters degree that I just finished  where I surveyed queer performances in the Twin Cities to just see about their experiences.” 

The center is additionally hosting an ice cream social on June 30 at the St. Paul Student Center lawn from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

Hoops said the center decided to host their ice cream event at the St. Paul campus to be more inclusive of University students and faculty. 

“We do that on the St. Paul campus, particularly because we know that the St. Paul campus is often kind of forgotten,” Hoops said. “We know that there are queer staff faculty and students over there, and so many offices that exist on the East Bank kind of stay on the East Bank.” 

The University is planning to host an event booth at Twin Cities Pride Festival, June 28-29, at Loring Park, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m.

The center is planning to host book club events for the remainder of the summer, according to Hoops. 

Riley said GSC events are open to anyone, even if they’re not part of the LGBTQ+ community.  

“Folks will say, ‘I’m straight, can I come if I want to learn?’” Riley said. “The answer is always that these events and things are open to anyone and everyone who has invested in the uplifting of those communities.”

On the University of Minnesota campus, students have noticed the presence of people handing out Bibles growing.  

The Gideons International, a Christian association of men that started in 1908, focuses on distributing the Bible and has given out around 2 billion Bibles worldwide.  

The Gideons International website states that their organization’s mission is to distribute the Bible in public areas, including college campuses.

“Moments of impact and Scripture placements now include prisons, hospitals, military facilities, hotels and motels,” the website said. “Testaments are distributed at schools, colleges, and many approved venues.” 

According to the Office of Institutional Compliance, groups who want to use a specific space on campus are required to have a permit. 

“Persons or groups distributing information are prohibited from: coercing others by demands, threats, or other means to accept publications,” the statement said. “Interfering with, disrupting, or otherwise advocating disruption or violation of any other lawful activity of any other person(s),” 

Andrew Hansen, a program director at the Anselm House, a Christian organization at the University of Minnesota, said in Christianity, the main mission is to spread the religion as the Bible connects with Christians. 

Hansen said the Gideons are allowed to distribute Bibles to students, and in terms of engaging with people, he is unsure whether there is a better alternative. 

“My understanding is that they’re perfectly within their legal bounds to be handing out Bibles on campus,” Hansen said. “The question I would have is what is going to be the most effective conversation or engagement?” 

The Anselm House provides the Bible to students and faculty in multiple languages, such as Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic and Farsi, Hansen said.

The Office of Institutional Compliance’s policy statement said that if someone wants to distribute publications, they can’t interfere with the university’s mission. The office’s freedom of speech statement said groups can be prohibited if it’s deemed offensive. 

Gavin Bergman, a third-year student studying industrial engineering, said it’s important to hand out Bibles, whether or not some students engage with them. 

“I think it goes a long way to just hand these out, even if they’re not going to be read,” Bergman said. 

Bergman said he supports the distribution of the Bible on campus because it is protected by the First Amendment. 

“I think that the freedom of religion is something that should be expressed at our campus, whatever side you’re coming from,” Bergman said. “If you’re insulted by somebody handing out little Bibles up the street corner, I’d say that’s kind of bigoted.” 

Lacey Marsh, a rising third-year student studying developmental psychology with a minor in neuroscience, said the Gideons force Bible distribution to students on campus. 

“I think it’s a little bit kind of forceful,” Marsh said. “I think if you want somebody to follow Jesus, you don’t want to just go up to them and invade their space and their personal time.” 

Marsh said some students may or may not be offended by Bible distribution. 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian association, sets up literature carts as a form of preaching, and the association said it has been more effective than preaching from house to house. 

“The house-to-house activity is still the primary way in which the witnesses make known bible truth,” the Jehovah’s Witness website said. “Yet, literature carts have proved to be very effective.” 

They have set up literature carts on the corners of the University of Minnesota campus and wait for students to approach them.

On the University of Minnesota campus, students have noticed the presence of people handing out Bibles growing.  

The Gideons International, a Christian association of men that started in 1908, focuses on distributing the Bible and has given out around 2 billion Bibles worldwide.  

The Gideons International website states that their organization’s mission is to distribute the Bible in public areas, including college campuses.

“Moments of impact and Scripture placements now include prisons, hospitals, military facilities, hotels and motels,” the website said. “Testaments are distributed at schools, colleges, and many approved venues.” 

According to the Office of Institutional Compliance, groups who want to use a specific space on campus are required to have a permit. 

“Persons or groups distributing information are prohibited from: coercing others by demands, threats, or other means to accept publications,” the statement said. “Interfering with, disrupting, or otherwise advocating disruption or violation of any other lawful activity of any other person(s),” 

Andrew Hansen, a program director at the Anselm House, a Christian organization at the University of Minnesota, said in Christianity, the main mission is to spread the religion as the Bible connects with Christians. 

Hansen said the Gideons are allowed to distribute Bibles to students, and in terms of engaging with people, he is unsure whether there is a better alternative. 

“My understanding is that they’re perfectly within their legal bounds to be handing out Bibles on campus,” Hansen said. “The question I would have is what is going to be the most effective conversation or engagement?” 

The Anselm House provides the Bible to students and faculty in multiple languages, such as Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic and Farsi, Hansen said.

The Office of Institutional Compliance’s policy statement said that if someone wants to distribute publications, they can’t interfere with the university’s mission. The office’s freedom of speech statement said groups can be prohibited if it’s deemed offensive. 

Gavin Bergman, a third-year student studying industrial engineering, said it’s important to hand out Bibles, whether or not some students engage with them. 

“I think it goes a long way to just hand these out, even if they’re not going to be read,” Bergman said. 

Bergman said he supports the distribution of the Bible on campus because it is protected by the First Amendment. 

“I think that the freedom of religion is something that should be expressed at our campus, whatever side you’re coming from,” Bergman said. “If you’re insulted by somebody handing out little Bibles up the street corner, I’d say that’s kind of bigoted.” 

Lacey Marsh, a rising third-year student studying developmental psychology with a minor in neuroscience, said the Gideons force Bible distribution to students on campus. 

“I think it’s a little bit kind of forceful,” Marsh said. “I think if you want somebody to follow Jesus, you don’t want to just go up to them and invade their space and their personal time.” 

Marsh said some students may or may not be offended by Bible distribution. 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian association, sets up literature carts as a form of preaching, and the association said it has been more effective than preaching from house to house. 

“The house-to-house activity is still the primary way in which the witnesses make known bible truth,” the Jehovah’s Witness website said. “Yet, literature carts have proved to be very effective.” 

They have set up literature carts on the corners of the University of Minnesota campus and wait for students to approach them.

On the University of Minnesota campus, students have noticed the presence of people handing out Bibles growing.  

The Gideons International, a Christian association of men that started in 1908, focuses on distributing the Bible and has given out around 2 billion Bibles worldwide.  

The Gideons International website states that their organization’s mission is to distribute the Bible in public areas, including college campuses.

“Moments of impact and Scripture placements now include prisons, hospitals, military facilities, hotels and motels,” the website said. “Testaments are distributed at schools, colleges, and many approved venues.” 

According to the Office of Institutional Compliance, groups who want to use a specific space on campus are required to have a permit. 

“Persons or groups distributing information are prohibited from: coercing others by demands, threats, or other means to accept publications,” the statement said. “Interfering with, disrupting, or otherwise advocating disruption or violation of any other lawful activity of any other person(s),” 

Andrew Hansen, a program director at the Anselm House, a Christian organization at the University of Minnesota, said in Christianity, the main mission is to spread the religion as the Bible connects with Christians. 

Hansen said the Gideons are allowed to distribute Bibles to students, and in terms of engaging with people, he is unsure whether there is a better alternative. 

“My understanding is that they’re perfectly within their legal bounds to be handing out Bibles on campus,” Hansen said. “The question I would have is what is going to be the most effective conversation or engagement?” 

The Anselm House provides the Bible to students and faculty in multiple languages, such as Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic and Farsi, Hansen said.

The Office of Institutional Compliance’s policy statement said that if someone wants to distribute publications, they can’t interfere with the university’s mission. The office’s freedom of speech statement said groups can be prohibited if it’s deemed offensive. 

Gavin Bergman, a third-year student studying industrial engineering, said it’s important to hand out Bibles, whether or not some students engage with them. 

“I think it goes a long way to just hand these out, even if they’re not going to be read,” Bergman said. 

Bergman said he supports the distribution of the Bible on campus because it is protected by the First Amendment. 

“I think that the freedom of religion is something that should be expressed at our campus, whatever side you’re coming from,” Bergman said. “If you’re insulted by somebody handing out little Bibles up the street corner, I’d say that’s kind of bigoted.” 

Lacey Marsh, a rising third-year student studying developmental psychology with a minor in neuroscience, said the Gideons force Bible distribution to students on campus. 

“I think it’s a little bit kind of forceful,” Marsh said. “I think if you want somebody to follow Jesus, you don’t want to just go up to them and invade their space and their personal time.” 

Marsh said some students may or may not be offended by Bible distribution. 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian association, sets up literature carts as a form of preaching, and the association said it has been more effective than preaching from house to house. 

“The house-to-house activity is still the primary way in which the witnesses make known bible truth,” the Jehovah’s Witness website said. “Yet, literature carts have proved to be very effective.” 

They have set up literature carts on the corners of the University of Minnesota campus and wait for students to approach them.