KQED's Forum Trump Targets California International Students and Higher Ed
Apr 23, 2025
Doug Belkins, a higher education reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Molly Gibbs from the East Bay Times, and Aarya Mukherjee of The Daily Californian dive into the Trump administration's controversial policies affecting international students in California. They discuss how visa terminations have sparked fear among students and impacted university finances. The trio also explores legal battles between educational institutions and the administration, and the broader implications for academic freedom and diversity in higher education.
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Visa Revocations Target Universities
- The Trump administration targets universities through visa revocations and funding freezes as a culture war tactic.
- International students' visas are revoked sometimes without clear reasons, affecting universities financially and reputationally.
Visa Revocation Trends at Berkeley
- Visa revocations at UC Berkeley rose rapidly then paused, likely due to legal challenges or exhaustion of identified targets.
- ICE uses data systems like Palantir to flag students, especially those fingerprinted in law enforcement interactions.
Fear Among International Students
- Visa revocations cause anxiety among international students, although only a small fraction face direct impact.
- Faculty express concern over losing international grad students which could hurt research and lab productivity.