The Trump administration’s unexplained revocation of international student visas hit Baylor University April 9.
The Waco, Texas, school currently is among a select few faith-based private universities affected by the unannounced revocations of hundreds of study visas at 120 schools across the nation. Other faith-based universities known to be affected so far include Southern Methodist University, Duke University, Emory University, Gonzaga University and George Washington University.
To date, the vast majority of students whose visas are being revoked without explanation are enrolled in public schools, which tend to be larger. However, all U.S. colleges and universities rely heavily on foreign students to enhance their enrollment and boost their income.
At Baylor, as at other schools, officials did not know of the change in student visa status until a staff member did a routine system update of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System database.
“Baylor University is aware of three students who have had their student immigration status terminated in the government database known as SEVIS — an evolving situation that is affecting colleges and universities across the country and deeply concerning to our campus community,” said Baylor spokeswoman Lori Fogleman. “Baylor’s ISSS learned of these terminations during a routine records review, as neither universities nor students received advanced notification of a change in status. The university has no authority to reverse these terminations. Baylor cannot disclose the identity of the students involved as we are committed to protecting student privacy.”
The Baylor Lariat reported the situation on Monday, April 14.
“We remain strongly committed to fostering a caring Christian community that includes and supports international students and scholars.”
“The three Baylor students are not an anomaly. Texas A&M reports 23 students have had their visas affected. Rice University has three current and two former student visas revoked. University of Texas San Antonio currently has seven students affected, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley reported that nine students have been affected as well,” the student newspaper said.
An estimated 1.1 million to 1.5 million international students are currently enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities — many of them tied to specific academic and athletic programs.
“Baylor continues to support higher education organizations, such as the American Council on Education, that are advocating for academic communities on immigration issues, and we remain strongly committed to fostering a caring Christian community that includes and supports international students and scholars,” Fogleman said.
The Associated Press reported: “The speed and scope of the federal government’s efforts to terminate the legal status of international students have stunned colleges across the country. Few corners of higher education have been untouched, as schools ranging from prestigious private universities, large public research institutions and tiny liberal arts colleges discover status terminations one after another among their students.”
The purge appears to be part of the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda, but specifically how these students were targeted has not been explained. And many of them are at a loss to understand either.
Some international students are suing to be able to stay in the U.S.
“In New Hampshire, a federal judge last week granted a temporary restraining order to restore the status of a Ph.D. student at Dartmouth College, Xiaotian Liu. On Tuesday, a federal judge in Wisconsin issued a similar order, ruling the government could not take steps to detain or revoke the visa of a University of Wisconsin-Madison gradate student,” according to the AP.
International students also increase diversity on university campuses, and that’s another thing the Trump administration is seeking to stamp out.
From the school’s perspective, however, international students also come with financial rewards. Most are not eligible for financial aid and pay full tuition rates to study in the U.S.