Staten Rector: Targeting international students puts America's reputation at risk

Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk was on the way to see her friends when masked ICE agents in plainclothes cornered, handcuffed and forced her into an unmarked vehicle. She is now being detained over 1,500 miles away in Louisiana.

Carnegie Mellon University student Jayson Ma had his visa suddenly revoked with no explanation. He has packed up his home and now carries his passport at all times, worried he may be the next to disappear.

These are not isolated incidents. International students all over the country are fearful they may be next, if they have not been targeted by the Trump administration already.

Now America’s reputation is at stake. If universities fail to continue fighting, the mass erasure of specific voices and identities from college campuses may irreparably harm their reputation as pillars of academic freedom.

Since Trump has returned to office, the administration has revoked the visas of more than 600 confirmed students. However, many organizations believe the figure to be much larger. NAFSA: Association of International Educators believes that the number of students directly affected stands closer to 1,000, and the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association estimates that the number may be closer to 4,700, at the low end.

Some of these students, such as Öztürk, were targeted for protesting Israel’s actions in the Israel-Gaza war. The Trump administration baselessly claimed that these students supported Hamas. In Öztürk’s case, there is little evidence of any involvement protesting Israel, let alone sympathizing with Hamas. She has only been credited with writing an op-ed, criticizing her university’s response to student demands.

Attacks on international students have not stopped at selectively revoking visas. Members of the GOP have sought the near complete erasure of specific nationalities from college campuses as well. In March, Republicans in the House of Representatives moved to ban Chinese nationals from receiving student visas or joining exchange programs. Moreover, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party recently sent Carnegie Mellon’s president and six other universities a letter, claiming Chinese students in the U.S. are threatening national security.

Despite these claims, many international students from China report coming to the U.S. to escape China’s lack of academic freedom, not to spy. Coming at the same time as the mass termination of student visas, international students from China now have greater reason to worry.

Similar concerns are being felt across Carnegie Mellon. The actions from the Trump administration and Congress have had a chilling effect over the entire campus. International students, who comprise nearly 40% of the student body, do not know what to do. Summer break is fast approaching, and many of them fear they will not be allowed back into the U.S. if they leave. Students and faculty alike are also worried, scared their friends and students may be forced to leave.

But the fears of students and faculty are not solely based on personal relationships with international students. Many — including myself — are frightened about the implications of the government’s action on the spread of ideas and speech on campus. If students are punished for speaking out and entire nationalities disappear from campuses, America’s college environment may be altered for the long-term.

As Chinese international students have noted, American universities are often considered global champions of academic freedom, at least compared to those elsewhere. Stripping campuses of specific voices and nationalities may jeopardize that reputation. Students may no longer feel safe to voice their concerns or pursue certain academic topics. The lack of diversity in student bodies may also threaten the presence of differing viewpoints on campuses, which the vast majority of Americans believe is crucial.

Universities must remain steadfast in their resistance to prevent this from becoming a reality. On Tuesday, over 150 academic institutions signed a joint statement denouncing the attacks from the Trump administration. This is a commendable step in the right direction. However, these universities and colleges must also be prepared to take stronger action, if necessary. Otherwise, their resistance may be futile.

When Harvard University announced it would refuse the Trump administration’s demands, the government responded by revoking $2 billion in funding. Still, Harvard did not back down; it took the fight to court. The institutions that signed the statement must be prepared to face similar repercussions and continue fighting, like Harvard. If their alliance fractures in the face of retaliation, the Trump administration will only be emboldened to continue their attacks.

Amidst severe funding cuts, it is understandable that universities may be hesitant to engage in a fight. But, the reputational damage from not pushing back may be far worse than any alternative.

If these universities cave, more students will suffer the same fates as Rümeysa Öztürk as well as Jayson Ma, and America’s academic institutions will not be the same for a long time.

Staten Rector is a student at Carnegie Mellon University pursuing a dual degree in economics and politics as well as ethics, history and public policy.