Latest news with #SouthDakotaBoardofRegents
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Dakota reaction to international student impacts
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – South Dakota schools, politicians and lawyers are weighing on the national conversations surrounding international student visa restrictions across the country. Within the last week of May, the Trump administration announced two orders to limit international student activity in the country: The U.S. State Department will cancel any new F-1 student visa embassy appointments– an interview process for international students looking to pursue an education in America- all while social media vetting expands. The U.S. State Department will revoke the visas of some Chinese students, who reportedly hold connections to the Communist party or study in 'critical fields,' according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Major gold find near Spearfish, South Dakota reported Republican U.S. Sen. John Thune told KELOLAND News the Trump administration is applying more scrutiny to who's entering the U.S. 'If somebody has been identified and perhaps is going to lose their status or visa in this country, there's a reason for that, and we just need to make sure that's the case,' Thune said. Thune said dangerous, illegal criminals should be the target for the Trump administration and he thinks the administration is doing good work at making America safe, especially at the Southern border and through stricter vetting processes. 'If you're in this country and you're following our laws in this country, you should be fine,' Thune said. 'I think that most of the work that's being done right now to identify people, it's people who represent national security threats, people who are perhaps have, you know, some sort of criminal activity on their records.' In response to the recent national reports and how South Dakota could be affected, the South Dakota Board of Regents (BOR) sent KELOLAND News the following statement: The South Dakota Board of Regents and its universities are closely monitoring the ongoing national discussions about student visa appointments and potential delays that may affect our current and future students. Our public university system is committed to welcoming prospective students who are navigating the complexities of the international application process in an effort to study in the United States at one of our six institutions. Shuree Mortenson, BOR Director of Communications These are not the first attempts from the Trump administration to crack down on international students' activity. Back in April, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminated immigration records across the nation, even in South Dakota. In April, School of Mines graduate student Priya Saxena filed a lawsuit against DHS, suing the department for revoking her F-1 student visa and terminating her SEVIS records without notice. Jim Leach, a Rapid City attorney representing Saxena in her lawsuit, said the federal government's actions were unlawful. 'I chose to become her lawyer because I thought what was happening to her was really terrible and wrong, and as soon as I started to look at it, I saw that it was completely unlawful,' Leach said. Further, Leach said everyone deserves due process under the law, even with the newest attempts to limit international student activity in the U.S, and the federal government needs to be accountable. 'What they've done so far — which the courts have really uniformly held was unlawful — was just telling foreign students, leave,' Leach said. 'Well, there's a process they have to go through and the process is set by law. And the reason that's important is that reflects the separation of powers we have in this country.' Leach said international students make the state's economy stronger, as these students pursue degrees and jobs in STEM and agriculture fields. 'These are just people who came here to study' Leach said. 'Foreign students, they tend to be really good people. And they're here because they want to try and they want to learn. And I don't think we have any reason to be afraid of them. We should welcome them.' In South Dakota, over 2,200 international students attend a South Dakota public university, with 250 international students attending a private higher institution in the state, according to a 2025 BOR report. Back in March, KELOLAND News reported on the exact number of international students at each public university, with the largest international student population being at South Dakota State University (SDSU), the University of South Dakota (USD), and Dakota State University (DSU). In May, Saxena got her legal status back to graduate from the School of Mines. Then, a judge ordered a preliminary injunction for Saxena to keep her legal status and pursue further education in the state. '[Saxena] is the kind of person who helps make our society better,' Leach said. 'We accomplished so much through technological advances, and she's at the forefront of chemical and biological engineering.' For Saxena, the next step is to make the injunction permanent — although there's no scheduled court date at this time, Leach said. A permanent injunction would secure Saxena's opportunities in education and bar DHS from further tampering with her immigration records. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A dozen international students report visa cancellations in South Dakota
Pat Braun carries a sign April 23, 2025, in Rapid City to protest the cancellation of student visas, including a recent case at South Dakota Mines. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) At least 10 international students at South Dakota's public universities have reported their visas canceled this year, according to the South Dakota Board of Regents. Two other reported cancellations were for former students in a program that allows student visa holders to work temporarily in jobs directly related to their field of study. A visa is a document showing a foreigner's permission to visit, work or study in the country. Board of Regents spokeswoman Shuree Mortenson did not identify which of the state's six public institutions the students attended. A Dakota State University spokeswoman told South Dakota Searchlight, however, that no visa cancellations have been reported by any of the Madison school's 198 international students. Noem's DHS will require migrants without legal status to register with U.S. government The public has been privy to the details in just one of the cases, that of Indian doctoral candidate Priya Saxena. She sued Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to prevent any action that would block Saxena from collecting her Ph.D. in chemical and biological engineering on May 10 from South Dakota Mines. Last week, U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier ordered DHS to reinstate Saxena's student status and leave her be, at least until the judge makes a call on whether to issue a further-reaching preliminary injunction in the case. On the day Saxena would collect her degree at Mines, Noem will deliver the commencement speech at DSU. A news release from the school, sent Wednesday morning, notes that Noem was extended the invitation to speak while she was still governor of South Dakota, a position she vacated to lead DHS. Saxena's plight was one of the motivations for about 25 people who demonstrated Wednesday outside City Hall in Rapid City, as part of a protest led by Indivisible Rapid City to 'call attention to the increasing disregard for basic constitutional protections — especially the right to due process, which applies to all people, not just U.S. citizens.' Demonstrator Pat Braun held a sign referencing student visa holders and said she is upset that Saxena was targeted. 'It's so ill-informed, so mean-spirited, so ugly,' Braun said. The cancellations in South Dakota are among a crush of visa-policing actions taken by the Trump administration as part of a wider push to tighten immigration enforcement, including an uptick in arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants. The president issued two executive orders impacting student visas on Jan. 20. One directed DHS and the U.S. State Department to review and revoke the visas of international students engaged in what the order called 'anti-Semetic' behavior. The order swept up students critical of Israel's ongoing war against Hamas, including a Turkish woman attending Tufts University who penned a pro-Palestine opinion column, and whose apprehension by agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement was captured on a widely shared video. The other executive order directs federal agencies to review visa programs more broadly, and instructs DHS Secretary Noem to 'take immediate steps to exclude or remove' anyone in the U.S. who might be considered a threat to public safety. Issues with visas or legal status have since befallen more than 1,000 students nationwide, The Associated Press reported last week. The wire service compiled the figure using statements from schools and state officials. Another outlet, Inside Higher Education, puts the figure at 1,700. Several students or groups of students have sued the administration over the visa actions. On the same day Saxena was given a reprieve in her South Dakota case, a federal judge in Georgia signed a similar order meant to temporarily reinstate the student status of 133 international students. South Dakota Searchlight reached out to the Board of Regents and representatives of the state's six public universities to inquire about visa status changes. The most recent report from the regents lists 2,233 international students in the state. Noem cheers court order requiring immigrants without legal status to register and carry documents Northern State University and the University of South Dakota did not respond. The schools that did, aside from DSU in Madison, said in statements that their respective international student offices are offering visa guidance to students as needed. In her statement on behalf of the regents, Mortenson said that 'our universities are not directly involved in this process.' 'However, with less than three weeks remaining in the spring semester, we will assist affected students with their academic efforts to the best of our ability,' she wrote. Searchlight also reached out to Augustana University, the state's largest private four-year school, whose spokesperson said its international students had not been affected. In separate statements to South Dakota Searchlight, the DHS and State Department declined to say how many foreign students in South Dakota have had visas revoked. The State Department issues visas for international students. It revokes visas 'every day,' its statement read, and 'will continue to do so.' 'When considering revocations, the department looks at information that arises after the visa was issued that may indicate a potential visa ineligibility under U.S. immigration laws, pose a threat to public safety, or other situations where revocation is warranted,' the statement read. 'This can include everything from arrests, criminal convictions, and engaging in conduct that is inconsistent with the visa classification, to an overstay.' DHS doesn't issue visas, but is involved on the enforcement and monitoring side. It maintains the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a database created after the 9/11 attacks and used to validate an international student's ability to study in the U.S. Schools must re-register international students through SEVIS each semester to verify that they're fulfilling visa requirements. Schools can terminate the SEVIS record if a student violates their visa terms by, for example, not enrolling in a full course of study. An international student with a visa needs a SEVIS record set to 'active' status to attend school. The recent SEVIS record terminations have come by way of Noem's federal agency, not from schools. A DHS spokesperson wrote that it 'conducts regular reviews' of SEVIS records 'to ensure visa holders remain in compliance with program requirements.' If an issue is flagged, including 'criminal arrests and other national security concerns,' the statement says, DHS may notify the State Department, which may revoke a student's visa. 'Individuals who remain in the U.S. without lawful immigration status may be subject to arrest and removal,' the statement reads. 'For such individuals, the safest and most efficient option is self-deportation.' The revocation for Saxena, the doctoral candidate at South Dakota Mines, came after a 'criminal records check,' according to documents filed in her lawsuit against Noem and the DHS. Grant cancellation means children have to 'defend themselves' in immigration court, advocate says Saxena learned of the revocation through the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi on April 7, six days after she defended her doctoral thesis, according to documents filed with her lawsuit. Conviction for a 'crime of moral turpitude,' a category that includes offenses like driving under the influence, can be grounds for visa revocation. Saxena has been in the U.S. since 2020. Her only criminal conviction came in 2021, for the class two misdemeanor of failure to move over for flashing yellow lights. She was ticketed for driving under the influence during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, but the charge didn't hold up. A blood test put her blood alcohol content on the evening of the stop at 0.06, which is below South Dakota's 0.08 legal threshold for intoxication. Prosecutors dismissed the DUI charge. Judge Schreier heard details about the incident during a Friday hearing on Saxena's request for an emergency temporary restraining order. Later that day, the judge ordered DHS to 'set aside' its decision to mark Saxena's visa status as terminated, to return her SEVIS record to 'active' status and to refrain from taking any enforcement action against her until May 2, or until 'further order from the court.' The doctoral candidate faced 'irreparable harm' if DHS moved forward, Schreier wrote. Saxena's lawyer, Jim Leach of Rapid City, decried the federal government's actions against international students as 'government gone wild.' Saxena has authored or co-authored a dozen peer-reviewed papers in her field, a point Leach added to the initial complaint in her lawsuit. That's the kind of person South Dakota and the U.S. ought to treasure, Leach said, not toss out for a traffic violation. 'The great things we have in this country are built on knowledge, on information,' Leach said. 'They're built by smart people like her, who can do the Ph.D. stuff in chemical and biological engineering that I never could have done.' South Dakota Searchlight's Seth Tupper contributed to this report. See the Federal Fallout page for Searchlight coverage of Trump administration firings, funding freezes, spending cuts, grant cancellations, tariffs and immigration enforcement.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Dakota wins concessions for itself and for universities nationwide in settlement with NCAA
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley speaks during a press conference following the end of a three-day trial on April 4, 2025, in Pierre. Behind him, from left, are South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation agent Trevor Swanson, prosecutor Nolan Welker and Division of Criminal Investigation agent Matt Glenn. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) South Dakota won special terms for itself and financial concessions for universities across the country while settling a lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association, according to a Wednesday announcement from state Attorney General Marty Jackley. The NCAA is the governing body for the highest level of college athletics. Jackley and the South Dakota Board of Regents sued the NCAA last year. The lawsuit alleged that a proposed $2.8 billion nationwide agreement to compensate athletes for their past participation in Division I sports would disproportionately burden smaller Division I schools, including South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota. Jackley said Wednesday in a news release that the NCAA will use a budget surplus of $55 million to reduce the amount of money that athletic conferences will have to pay toward the proposed athlete compensation agreement. The reduction will occur during the first year of the proposed decade of payments from conferences. South Dakota Board of Regents sues NCAA over proposed athlete pay settlement The NCAA, in a separate news release, said the surplus is available because 'the national office surpassed financial goals for the fiscal year.' The NCAA's release does not mention South Dakota's lawsuit but says the decision to reduce the financial burden on member schools was made 'in consultation with South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley.' A copy of the settlement terms, provided by the Attorney General's Office, shows that the NCAA agreed to credit Jackley 'for his efforts in giving small schools and conferences relief.' Jackley said the settlement reduces by 33% the amount that universities will pay toward the first year of the proposed $2.8 billion athlete compensation agreement, saving approximately $2 million for the Summit League and the Missouri Valley Conference, which include the two South Dakota schools. 'This settlement is for and about our student athletes,' Jackley said in his release. The settlement also 'provides the attorney general an opportunity to work with the NCAA on future reductions and stipulates that funding of the newly created Women's Basketball Performance Fund remain intact with no reductions,' Jackley's news release said. The performance fund, created in January, rewards teams that advance to the Division I Women's Basketball Championship, similar to a previously existing arrangement for men's teams. In South Dakota-specific provisions, the settlement commits the NCAA president and select staff to meet with the presidents of SDSU, USD, the Summit League and Sioux Falls leaders to discuss 'NCAA issues currently impacting state schools and opportunities to host future NCAA championships in the state.' During that meeting, the settlement terms say, the NCAA president 'will acknowledge and credit the Summit League for the large attendance numbers the League has generated at the men's and women's basketball championships as a result of hosting the events in South Dakota.' The NCAA also agreed to pay the South Dakota Board of Regents $24,815 to reimburse it for expenses incurred during the litigation. The broader issue underlying the litigation is a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the NCAA's prohibition on athlete compensation was a violation of antitrust laws. That led to a proposed $2.8 billion agreement last year to settle several class action lawsuits against the NCAA. In that litigation, athletes sued to recover back payment for their participation in college athletics. A federal judge in California is deciding whether to give final approval to the $2.8 billion agreement, known as the House v. NCAA settlement. The NCAA agreed to the following terms in its settlement with South Dakota, according to the text of communications provided by the state Attorney General's Office: The NCAA will credit the South Dakota Attorney General for his efforts in giving small schools and conferences relief when it announces the DI Board of Directors' decision to reduce the amount of revenue withheld from all Division I conferences needed to make the first of the ten annual payments to settle the House litigation. NCAA will make this public announcement the week of April 21. The NCAA will meet with the South Dakota Attorney General's Office to explore possible ways to minimize the impact on the State arising from the NCAA's future withholding of revenue to pay for the House settlement. The NCAA President and select staff will meet in-person with the presidents of SDSU and USD, the Summit League, and other Sioux Falls leaders within the next twelve (12) months to discuss NCAA issues currently impacting State schools and opportunities to host future NCAA championships in the State. During the meeting, the NCAA President will acknowledge and credit the Summit League for the large attendance numbers the League has generated at the men's and women's basketball championships as a result of hosting the events in South Dakota. Within thirty (30) days of dismissal of the Lawsuit, the NCAA will make a one-time payment to the South Dakota Board of Regents in the amount of $24,815 to reimburse expenses incurred by experts. Please also accept this as confirmation that the NCAA does not intend to use revenue from the newly created Women's Basketball Fund to pay for the House settlement.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
SD student visas cancelled; Rain chances tomorrow
SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO) — Here are this morning's top stories with KELOLAND On the Go. As of April 22, a spokesperson for the South Dakota Board of Regents there have been about a dozen self-reported student visa cancellations across the system of six public universities. About 12 student visa cancellations reported in SD Rounds' seat in the Senate will be up for grabs in 2026, and the GOP primary is approaching; it'll take place on June 2, 2026. Asked if he's running for reelection, Rounds keeps that door wide open. Rounds looks at '25 dynamics, says no gubernatorial run in '26 We are starting the day with widely scattered showers in KELOLAND as shown in the radar loop below. The rain today will remain limited, with local totals more organized west of Sioux Falls and running a couple of segments near I-90. More rain chances are ahead tomorrow. Increasing rain chances for tomorrow in southern KELOLAND Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SD university leader argues against maintenance and repair budget cuts
Nathan Lukkes, executive director of the South Dakota Board of Regents, testifies to the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee on Feb. 5, 2025. Also pictured, from left, are Rep. Erik Muckey, D-Sioux Falls, and Rep. Scott Moore, R-Ipswich. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) PIERRE — The leader of South Dakota's public universities argued against proposed maintenance and repair cuts when he appeared Wednesday before legislators on a budget committee. Nathan Lukkes, executive director of the state Board of Regents, discussed the cuts at the Capitol with the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee. He said the proposed $9 million reduction in the university system's repair and maintenance budget is 'very concerning.' 'We would hope as you're wrestling with some of those decisions and looking at what's the right decision and where to cut, that we can be at the table and find a way that doesn't put us behind the eight ball 10 to 20 years down the road,' Lukkes said. Noem budget includes cuts, but also new school choice program and more prison money The universities have a combined $700 million worth of repair and maintenance needs in their 10-year plan, he added, and collectively manage about $3.5 billion worth of infrastructure. The total budget for the university system this year is $950 million from a combination of state, federal and student-supported funds. Former Gov. Kristi Noem proposed the cuts as part of a broader plan to balance the next state budget in the face of declining sales tax revenue, deplenished federal pandemic aid and rising Medicaid costs. She's since become secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and her lieutenant governor, Larry Rhoden, has been sworn in as governor. Noem's budget plan also includes an additional $2 million cut in the university system's base funding, and Lukkes said the regents are 'willing to find a way to make that work.' 'You can't benefit in the good times and then scream and cry when there's a downturn and you're not getting any funding,' he said. Those good times included working with lawmakers to effectively freeze tuition for the past five years, except for one year when the average student experienced a $100 increase. The universities rose from fourth to first in cost competitiveness among neighboring states during that period, Lukkes said. Meanwhile, enrollment at South Dakota's universities grew each of the last three years to a total of 36,091 students. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
