CADEN HAYNOR / ASST. NEWS EDITOR

As the spring semester progresses, fears regarding the future of international students and faculty on campus have increased. Under the Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) have increased their operations, focusing on strict immigration law enforcement and mass deportations.

Since March, 36 University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and four San Diego State University (SDSU) students have had their student visas revoked. Some of these visas were reinstated in April. At least one UCSD student was deported at the border after their visa was revoked, according to UCSD’s student newspaper, The Guardian. As these events have  neared USD, they have jolted students.

USD, along with other colleges in San Diego, have felt Trump’s increased immigration policies. Although USD students have not experienced any deportations, one USD student has had their visa revoked. 

USD first-year Suwan Jung is a student from Korea. Jung discussed how he and his friends have been affected by the visa revocations.

“I know someone who was in the same high school as me … He got his visa revoked just because he got two speeding tickets,” Jung explained. “I feel like that is going too far. I do have to worry that, if anything comes out about me in public, like going to a protest or a political post, I might have my visa revoked.”

The International Center’s Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) at USD works to ensure that international students have a smooth transition to USD while also complying with immigration regulations. The OISS explained how they have been supporting USD students through the recent immigration events.

“The OISS ensures that visa-holding students and scholars maintain their status by providing compliance support and campus resources,” the OISS stated. “OISS actively monitors policy changes affecting international students, shares updates through direct email campaigns to all international students, targeted emails for relevant student groups, webinars, and keeps university leadership informed. Additionally, OISS supports students who encounter issues with their  status by helping them navigate regulations, maintain stability, and focus on completing their degree and making the most of their time at USD.”

OISS explained how they are working to assist international students who wish for their families to come to graduation.

“OISS is responsible for assisting graduating international students with their desire to invite their parents from abroad to attend the upcoming graduation ceremony,” OISS said. “One-on-one advising sessions are available to address questions or concerns from international students and their parents about traveling to the United States for the graduation ceremony.”

USD senior Lauren Williams, president of the Social Justice Club on campus,  has  held multiple meetings with students related to the new administration’s recent immigration crackdowns. Williams spoke about how the language around immigration is meaningful during this time.

“In our meeting, ‘Language Matters, Advocating for Immigrant Dignity,’ we described how it is critical for us to raise awareness of false narratives of immigrants during a rise of mass deportations since January,” Williams explained. “In the media, immigrants have often been portrayed negatively as ‘illegals’ or ‘illegal aliens.’ Therefore, we informed those who attended our meeting that by shifting the language we use, like saying ‘migrant’ instead can make a difference since it makes people feel safe in our community and it has the power to shift narratives in the media.”

On-campus resources, including the Counseling Center, University Ministry, Department of Public Safety and the International Center are available for USD community members seeking support. As the policies around immigration in the U.S. continue to evolve, the USD community will remain alert of the impact these reforms will have on their lives.

Recently, student visa revocations have been a major issue in higher education.

Photo courtesy of @RealGaryShep/X