Harvard's Indian Students Are Trapped in Trump's Visa Crossfire

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Harvard's Indian Students Are Trapped in Trump's Visa Crossfire
DW
16 minutes ago
Indian students at Harvard say they are experiencing heightened stress over potential changes to student visa programs. The uncertainty is affecting academic performance and future planning for hundreds of students on campus.
Harvard University. Photo: www.harvard.edu.
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The Trump administration's recent revocation of Harvard's student visa certification has left the elite university's international scholars wondering what the future holds.
Nearly 800 students from India are enrolled at Harvard. Parthiv Patel,* a 25-year-old predoctoral fellow at Harvard Business School, told DW that he has hardly slept since the visa revocation was announced last week.
'There is anxiety and fear amongst the international students,' Patel said. 'We do not know who to turn to and what lies in store. You can understand the concerns.'
Along with costing him his visa status, Patel said, The Trump administration's threatened funding cuts could jeopardize his research.
'I am navigating an uncertain future,' Patel said. 'My research is tied to Harvard's resources — access to datasets, my adviser's mentorship and the collective environment here.
'If funding gets cut and international students are pushed out,' Patel said, 'what's left?'
The revocation of Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) means the university can no longer issue or sponsor F-1 or J-1 visas, which are required for international students to study legally in the US.
According to Harvard University, the move affects more than 7,000 international students, most of them in graduate programs.
International students with an Optional Practical Training (OPT) or STEM OPT, which allows postgraduation work authorization for up to three years, face additional complications.
Transferring to another institution could automatically terminate their OPT work authorization and disrupt their ability to work legally in the United States.
Although a federal judge in Boston issued a temporary restraining order on May 23 to block the revocation pending further hearings, the looming threat of deportation or forced transfers continues to weigh heavily on students.
An 'emotional toll'
Ananya Shukla, a public policy student at the Harvard Kennedy School, told DW that she faces the possibility of having to transfer to other educational institutions or risk losing her legal status to remain in the United States.
'I came here to build a future,' Shukla said, 'but now I'm just trying to hold on to what I've got.'
'I keep thinking: What if I have to transfer?' Shukla said. 'Will my credits even count? Will I get a visa for another school? It's like my entire future is on hold.'
'Not only are we left in limbo, our parents are anxious when we can't predict what can happen,' Shukla said. 'It is an incredible emotional toll.'
Many students to whom DW reached out were hesitant to speak on the phone or online because they feared being monitored and that discussing the issue could lead to disciplinary actions and further loss of opportunities.
Harvard fights back
The dispute between Harvard and the DHS hinges on the department's request to access student records, which includes data on disciplinary history, involvement in violence or threats and participation in protests.
In a statement released last week, Harvard spokesperson Jason A. Newton called the DHS's move 'unlawful' and wrote that Harvard was 'fully committed' to enrolling international students.
'This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country,' Newton wrote, 'and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission.'
Students on Harvard's campus have protested Trump's crackdown on international students. Image: Rick Friedman/AFP
US shutting the door for international students
On Tuesday, the Trump administration further ordered US embassies around the world to stop scheduling appointments for student visas as it prepares to expand social media vetting of such applicants.
Indian students represent the largest cohort of international students at US universities, with more than 331,000 enrolled at higher-education institutions, according to the State Department.
Sandeep Sharma, the founder of the Mumbai-based NextGen Education India, which has helped place students abroad and provided career guidance, told DW that the Trump administration's clampdown has created a climate of fear and uncertainty, potentially deterring future international students from choosing US institutions.
'The students are in deep shock and depressed,' Sharma said. 'The recent developments are a reminder that even the best-laid plans can be vulnerable to politics. But students are resilient, and, as a community, we must ensure their dreams do not end at a policy wall.'
This article was first published on DW.
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