The Trump administration has escalated its recent conflict with Harvard University, threatening to revoke visas for Harvard’s international students and possibly revoking its tax-exempt status and Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. Without the certification, foreign students would not be permitted to attend Harvard university.
IWU has been placed under a similar spotlight recently for reported antisemitic discrimination and harassment and the promotion of pro-Palestine views. ‘The Argus’ reached out to international students of IWU to get their opinions.
“On a national scale, international students have long played key roles in science, technology, public health, diplomacy, and the arts,” senior Victoria Ballesteros-Gonzalez said. “We are not just “guests” benefiting from the U.S. system, we are contributors, innovators, and often bridges between countries. Reducing our presence weakens America’s global competitiveness, damages international goodwill, and creates a more isolating, less collaborative academic environment.”
Many foreign students at Illinois Wesleyan have had to consider changing their plans due to the Trump Admins threats. Some students who are considering exploring masters degrees have to decide if they want to risk staying in the United States and going further into debt just to possibly be deported before they can finish their studies. Others have decided to stay in the states over the summer, due to worries that they may not be able to return to the states if they leave for summer recess.
“For me, it is a more personal toll: the sense that your value is conditional,” Ballesteros-Gonzalez said. “That no matter how hard you work, how much you contribute, or how many times you prove your worth, someone could erase it all. That’s not an easy environment to study, grow, or build a future in,” she said.
As of April 10, more than 600 international students in over 100 colleges and universities across the country are believed to have been affected by the cancellation of visas from the Trump Administration.
“Reducing international presence and opportunities undermines IWU’s credibility as a globally oriented liberal arts college. It limits alumni networks, opportunities, and the kind of transformative experiences that set our university apart. Frankly, it would make IWU less competitive and less compelling,” Ballesteros-Gonzalez said.
