A ‘time of fear' for international students amid chaotic federal actions
Kate Zanger has worked in higher education for 49 years, more than half of that time at Clarke University in Dubuque. The vice president for student life is set to retire at the end of the spring semester.
In her career working at universities in Washington, D.C., and New York, Zanger said she has never seen actions taken against international students like the mass changes to Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) statuses and visa revocations that swept across the U.S.
This is a 'time of fear' for international students, said Zanger, the principal designated school official at Clarke working with the Student and Exchange Visitor program. While many students' statuses have been restored at this point, officials working with impacted students say there will be social and economic consequences down the road.
'For U.S. citizens, this time is kind of frightening, because of everything that you hear that's going on with the government,' Zanger said. 'Imagine being an international student trying to figure this out.'
Of the 40 Iowa public universities, community colleges and private institutions contacted by the Iowa Capital Dispatch and the 28 that responded, 13 acknowledged having some number of university students or recent graduates with changed SEVIS statuses.
The only state university to provide specific numbers of international students was the University of Northern Iowa, reporting two students with terminated — and reinstated — SEVIS statuses. Representatives from the University of Iowa and Iowa State University both stated there were students at their institutions who have seen their status change, but declined to say how many students and how many have been reinstated.
At least four UI students have been impacted by student status revocations, and are suing the Department of Homeland Security for the actions taken against them. According to reporting by the Iowa State Daily, at least two ISU students have seen their visas revoked.
Other colleges confirming impacted international students include Coe College, Clarke University, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, Mount Mercy University, Luther College, Graceland University, Des Moines Area Community College, Southeastern Community College and St. Ambrose University.
All respondents saw either one or two student statuses change, and all but two students across all of the institutions have seen their statuses restored.
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Some students have also seen their visas revoked with much more aggressive language than in the past, said Karen Edwards, Grinnell College dean for International Student Affairs and principal designated school official.
Grinnell College refused to give specific numbers of impacted students, however, Edwards said around 20% of the student body, or around 340 students, are international, and some have seen both their SEVIS status change and their visa canceled.
While Edwards said F1 student visa revocation as a result of criminal activity is nothing new, and because these visa holders have 'duration of status benefits,' they are not required to immediately leave the country if their visa is revoked, but they will have to reapply for a visa if they do travel abroad.
In the past when students were notified of their visa revocation, Edwards said information would be included explaining all of this. Now, language on these notices is 'harsher,' she said, warning the holder that they are subject to detention or deportation to a country not their own.
Edwards said the termination of SEVIS records is incredibly troublesome, as it is the record giving international students lawful status to study and complete other requirements and enabling information access and sharing for universities when needed.
'When a SEVIS record is terminated, for example, someone who's here can't record their address update, or can't reduce their course load in their final semester, or can't submit other applications, a transfer to a new program or graduate level,' Edwards said. 'So it really does immediately mean they can't function as a lawful F1 student here.'
Even alumni who have continued to stay in the U.S. lawfully under their visa and SEVIS status have been impacted, Edwards said.
Moving away from campus. Trying to find legal representation. Missing a commencement ceremony and having to figure out how to retrieve an earned degree. These are some of the hardships endured by international students with terminated SEVIS statuses and revoked visas, according to university officials.
At St. Ambrose University in Davenport, two students saw a change in their SEVIS status and chose to leave the campus. Ricki Grover, international student advisor and study abroad coordinator, said in an email the university provided financial support to the students through its student emergency fund, helped them connect with legal resources and ensured they'd be able to complete their coursework over the summer.
While these statuses have now been reinstated, Grover said the students have not returned to campus.
Some universities have legal experts on hand to help impacted international students, Zanger said, but smaller colleges like Clarke don't. She said she reached out to larger institutions to see if an attorney would be available to represent the one Clarke student who saw their status terminated, but no one had the time. It can be difficult to find an immigration lawyer who has the expertise to work with students, she said.
Students have told her they're choosing to stay in the U.S. for the summer out of fear that they won't be let back in to finish their studies, and Zanger said she's recommended all international students carry with them the correct documents when traveling.
Others have said if they can't reenter the country, then they don't really want to be here anyway.
'We try to assure them that we want you here at Clarke, we want you to graduate from Clarke, you bring a lot to our campus community,' Zanger said.
The one student at Graceland University in Lamoni who saw their visa revoked was supposed to walk in the university's commencement ceremony on April 27, but couldn't, despite their visa being reinstated that weekend. Graceland spokesperson Shane Adams said in an email the university will work with the student to ensure they still receive their degree.
'We were disappointed that the student was not able to walk with their classmates on Sunday,' Adams said in his email.
International student enrollment in U.S. universities has been increasing over the past few years, with the 2024 Open Doors Report citing an increase of more than 25,000 students between the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years.
The U.S. has traditionally been viewed as a welcoming and supportive space for students, which Edwards said has made the country a higher education destination for those wishing to study abroad. She worries about how actions taken against international students will impact what she called the country's fifth-largest export — higher education.
'I think right now, given the climate in the U.S. … if I was coming from another country, I might think twice about studying in the U.S.,' Zanger said, 'which is very sad, because our international students bring a lot to each of the campuses they are part of.'
According to data from nonprofit NAFSA: Association of International Educators, in the 2023-2024 academic year alone, international students supported more than 378,000 jobs and contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy. International students in Iowa have contributed nearly $272 million to the state economy and close to 1,900 jobs.
Beyond any economic impact these actions could have, Edwards said the diplomacy, goodwill and innovations that come with international students and the global perspectives and connections they bring will most likely be damaged.
'If we are less viewed as an education destination, that really places our whole way of thinking and learning at risk and it turns us into an isolationist space, as opposed to a global space with thinkers from all over the world,' Edwards said. 'That's what drew me to the field. That's what makes me passionate about what I do and I see it at work here, because students from all over the world sit in the same classroom, (and) whether they're talking about English literature or whether they're doing a science project, it just brings a new voice to the table that helps everybody.'
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