Could New Social Media Screening Create a Student Visa Bottleneck?
Karin Fischer takes a close look at the new US social media screening policy, raising valid concerns about its broad and vague language. Students are now required to make all social accounts public, with the guidance warning that private settings could be seen as “evasiveness” or harm credibility. For many, this is a serious privacy and safety issue. While the policy echoes earlier efforts from President Trump’s first term, this expanded, across-the-board screening marks a significant shift and could impact visa wait times with the additional screening necessary to review all applicants.
Eseoghene, who plans to go to Georgia State University, said she was anxiously waiting for appointments to be available in Nigeria. She’s less worried about the social-media policy itself — she isn’t very active online, she said — than about its potential to slow down the issuance of visas. The State Department cable instructs consular officers to “take the time necessary” to fully vet applicants. Classes at Georgia State begin in two months, Eseoghene said in an email.
“We all have dreams to further our education in the U.S. for a successful future, but now it seems all odds are against us.”
Read more on The Chronicle of Higher Education >
The High Cost of Trump’s Brain Drain
If you find yourself in a debate with a colleague, elected official, or even a family member, this article offers some great talking points. It reinforces what we already know — international students bring immense value, not just to the campuses they attend, but also to the overall educational experience of American students and the communities they’re part of.
The consequences could be severe. Since 2000, US-based researchers have won around two-thirds of the Nobel Prizes in chemistry, physics, and medicine – and 40% of those laureates were immigrants. Notably,
nearly half of immigrant US-based Nobel Prize winners completed their graduate studies at US universities. These scholars not only advanced groundbreaking research and enhanced their institutions’ prestige but also served as teachers and mentors to both American and international students, attracting a new generation of academic talent.
Learn more on Project Syndicate >
Vanderbilt Unity Poll: Public Strongly Rejects Presidential Power Over University Enrollment, Deportation Without Due Process
For those of you who regularly read our News & Insights, you know we love highlighting interesting polling data. This recent survey from Vanderbilt University stands out — especially the contrast in views between public and private institutions, and the unexpectedly strong support for international students and sentiments on the president’s actions in this space.
Sentiment about the president’s handling of higher education is profoundly polarized. Overall, 61 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Trump has approached issues related to colleges and universities. When broken down by political identification, 77 percent of Republicans approve of his actions, while only 28 percent of Independents and 8 percent of Democrats approve. Even so, there are important splits among Republican-aligned respondents: 86 percent of the MAGA supporters support Trump’s actions toward higher education, compared with only 56 percent of traditional Republicans.
Get the full story on the Vanderbilt University website >
Judge Blocks Trump Proclamation Barring Harvard’s International Students
More updates on the president’s fight with Harvard: The university continues to win in the courts. We are pleased to see the judge’s comments regarding international students.
In her ruling on Monday, Judge Burroughs noted that the issues at stake involved “core constitutional rights that must be safeguarded — freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of speech” and that free speech, particularly in the academic arena, “must be zealously defended and not taken for granted.”
She also chastised the government’s attempts “to accomplish this, at least in part, on the backs of international students, with little thought to the consequences to them or, ultimately, to our own citizens.”
