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Politico
4 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
U. of I.'s new chancellor on Trump's moves
Presented by Good Tuesday morning, Illinois. It feels like the calm before the storm. TOP TALKER PLAYBOOK Q&A: Charles Isbell Jr., who was approved Monday as the next chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and vice president of the University of Illinois System, comes into the position at a critical time for higher education. The Trump administration has zeroed in on American universities, threatening to cut federal funding and prevent international students from enrolling. While concerning, Isbell, who has been the provost at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says the tensions should not come as a surprise. 'We were increasingly seeing less and less support from politicians and from the government and even from industry over the last decade or so. So, this is an acceleration of where we were headed,' Isbell said in an interview with POLITICO after his approval by the U. of I. Board of Trustees. 'This is not a thing that just started in January. This is a thing that has been going back over the decades.' The solution, he said, is to better communicate and listen to what the community at large wants from higher institutions. 'Maybe they're right,' he says of higher-ed critics. 'Maybe we aren't providing the things that they need or the things that they want. We have to listen and have that conversation with them.' Our interview has been edited for length and clarity. Are you approaching your position at U. of I. differently than you might have a year ago, before the Trump administration made universities such a focal point? 'We are at a critical time, but I do think it's worth stepping back a little bit and realizing that higher ed has been in a crisis of one form or another for quite a long time. At least since 2015, we were losing the support and faith of the public. We were increasingly seeing less and less support from politicians and from the government and even from industry over the last decade or so. It's a bit urgent now, more urgent than it was perhaps a year ago, but it was something that we as an industry have always needed to think about. 'We have to communicate what it is that we do with people. We have to not start at the point of, 'Well, let's just tell them what's right, and then they'll give us money and leave us alone.' No, you have to start from the place that maybe we aren't talking to them the way that we should. Maybe they're right. Maybe we aren't providing the things that they need or the things that they want. We have to listen and have that conversation.' What message do you give to returning or prospective international students and their families? 'We value them. We appreciate what it is that they bring, not just to the country, but what they bring to the campus, and that we will support them when they are here. That is the key message.' U. of I. would face a financial hit if the international student population dropped, given they pay full tuition. How else could it hurt the university? 'International students are a significant part of the population of the university, both the undergraduate level and the graduate level. They are a part of this community. They bring ideas, they bring experiences, they contribute to the diversity of the university. If we lose that, we lose the diversity of the student body, we lose the diversity of our faculty and our staff, and that's clearly not good. That is clearly suboptimal for everyone.' Do you expect to work with other universities to talk to the Trump administration about some of these concerns? 'We will continue to work with other universities. Illinois has been a part of those conversations before I got here. We will continue to be a part of those conversations.' STEM has been a priority for you. Do you worry about its future given reverberations from Washington? 'Everyone across higher ed is concerned about potential changes that will be happening over the next year through the budget. If you think about all the great things that exist now — whether technology, all kinds of things that the United States has been in the forefront of — it has come in partnership with basic research that wasn't just looking out six months, but looking out six years and six decades. We cannot afford to lose that. 'The lesson is to know that we have not always told our story, we have not always understood how fragile the ecosystem is, and that we shouldn't ever make that mistake again.' What was your take on the hearings with the university presidents? 'I cringed. I think at the moment, it was a surprise for everyone there. They thought they were having one conversation and they were having a different conversation, perhaps the conversation we should have been having all along, and certainly the conversation we're going to have to continue to have.' RELATED SIU med school dean urges resistance to Trump executive orders, by Daniel Nuccio for The College Fix THE BUZZ BIG MOVE: Mayor Johnson loses his chief operating officer, John Roberson, to Obama Foundation — not the CTA: Roberson is joining the Obama Foundation as executive VP for the Obama Presidential Center, which is under construction in Jackson Park. Roberson is 'the most seasoned and savvy member of Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration. … Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett knows Roberson well, having served with him in the administration of former Mayor Richard M. Daley,' writes the Sun-Times' Fran Spielman. Roberson had been considered to head the Chicago Transit Authority, but that potential appointment drew criticism from transportation advocates. His exit from city government leaves Johnson's administration without any old-school City Hall bureaucrats among his top advisers, by the Tribune's Alice Yin, A.D. Quig and Jake Sheridan. If you are John Roberson, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@ WHERE'S JB No official public events WHERE's BRANDON No official public events Where's Toni No official public events Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email skapos@ BUSINESS OF POLITICS — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Congresswoman Robin Kelly has been endorsed in her bid for the U.S. Senate by Congresswoman Lucy McBath, a Georgia Democrat and a native of Joliet. The two lawmakers have led efforts to support gun-safety measures and to oppose the gun lobby. THE STATEWIDES — Illinois joins lawsuit against U.S. over triggers that can make semiautomatic rifles fire faster: 'Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said he would continue to enforce the ban on the devices through Illinois law that prohibits owning them and other devices — such as bump stocks — that can make semiautomatic rifles fire faster,' by the Sun-Times' Violet Miller. — Gov. Pritzker prepping for House committee showdown with help from top Biden attorney Dana Remus, by the Sun-Times' Tina Sfondeles — Judge denies Michael Madigan's motion for new trial, setting stage for high-stakes sentencing Friday, by the Tribune's Jason Meisner — Terminally ill Lombard woman continues push for medical 'aid in dying' bill, by the Daily Herald's Alicia Fabbre CHICAGO — Not your grandparents' City Council: Chicago aldermen less aligned with 5th floor: 'The shift follows the demise of Chicago's infamous machine politics. It also tracks with the ascension of the aldermanic Progressive Caucus and the 'Common Sense Caucus' formed in part to oppose it, both shifting groups that bring more ideological force into debates,' by the Tribune's Jake Sheridan. — Did Chicago cops help ICE during mass arrests? City leaders call for investigation: 'Ald. Andre Vasquez wants to investigate whether police violated the Welcoming City ordinance during an ICE operation last week. Chicago police officials said officers were on the scene to preserve public safety and did not violate the ordinance,' by the Block Club's Francia Garcia Hernandez. — Some denounce Trump travel ban, but it's business as usual at O'Hare, by the Sun-Times' Elvia Malagón and WBEZ's Michael Puente — Chicago cracks down on nearly 200 illegal trash pickups in first months of enforcement effort, by WTTW's Nick Blumberg TAKING NAMES — State Sens. Lakesia Collins and Laura Fine and state Reps. Mary Beth Canty, Terra Costa Howard and Suzanne Ness will be honored today with the Champion of Youth Award by the Illinois Collaboration on Youth during its annual member meeting in Naperville. The award is recognizing their efforts to help make liability insurance more accessible for child welfare and youth service providers. Advocate James McIntyre will also be recognized. Reader Digest We asked what warrants the National Guard being brought in? Lucas Hawley: 'When the said state cannot or will not control mob acts of violence and destruction on private or public property.' Jim Lyons: 'Jan. 6, 2021.' Timothy Thomas: 'As U.S. law states, when it's necessary to repel invasion, suppress a rebellion or if the president is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.' Steve Weiss: 'Blocking freeways, burning vehicles and assaulting police officers (LAPD et al.) is a reasonable motive for bringing in the Guard.' NEXT QUESTION: When did politics dictate how your purchase decisions? KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION — Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin led 12 of their Illinois delegation members in criticizing the Trump administration's cancellation of the Digital Equity Act Competitive Grants Program, which would have provided more than $23.7 million to Illinois organizations across the state to equip households with the tools needed to use high-speed internet, according to Duckworth's team. Their letter is here. — Durbin spoke on the Senate floor Monday to criticize the budget legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Durbin called it 'a big, beautiful betrayal.' Here's the video THE NATIONAL TAKE — RFK Jr. to fire all members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, by POLITICO's Sophie Gardner and Lauren Gardner — ActBlue says GOP investigation might be a partisan violation of the Constitution, by POLITICO's Jessica Piper — Gavin Newsom: Trump is 'unhinged,' speaking like an 'authoritarian,' by POLITICO's Melanie Mason and Christopher Cadelago — 'A self-fulfilling prophecy': How the clash in LA could explode, by POLITICO's Katy Murphy and staff TRANSITIONS — Adam Collins is now chief communications officer at Reddit, the social media and news aggregation website. He was chief communications and corporate affairs officer at Molson Coors Beverage Company. Politicos know him for his work leading various political communications operations. He was communications director for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, communications director for the Chicago Police Department and press secretary for Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, among others. — Chelsea Blink is now legislative director for Rep. Lauren Underwood. She was director of farm animal legislation at the ASPCA. — David Shapiro has been named executive director of the MacArthur Justice Center, a civil rights law firm with offices in Chicago, New Orleans, St. Louis, Oxford and D.C. He starts Aug. 1. He's currently executive director of the Chicago Lawyer's Committee. EVENTS — Thursday: 'The Calumet River and Its Toxic Islands' is the subject of a tour. Details here — Friday: 'The State of the Media' is the subject of a panel at the Rainbow Push 'People's Conference.' Details here — June 17: Ald. Nicole Lee will be feted at a fundraiser. Details here — July 10: The 47th Ward Democrats are having a fundraiser by the river. Details here TRIVIA MONDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Jim Nowlan for correctly answering that the late former state Rep. Webber Borchers took on the Chief Illiniwek role when he was a University of Illinois student. TODAY's QUESTION: Who were the two Illinoisans who served as personal secretaries to President Abraham Lincoln? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY Former first kid Sasha Obama, Circuit Court Judge Dominique Ross, former state Sen. Jim Oberweis, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, Bowman Consulting's Brian McPartlin, political consultant Eli Brottman, Cook County Commission on Human Rights Chair Sufyan Sohel, AJ Capital Partners HR Manager Marissa Schanbacher, HUD nominee Ben DeMarzo and Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg -30-
Chicago Tribune
13-05-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: Depression, isolation and substance use all are up. Are Illinois teens OK?
Illinois teens are turning to alcohol and drug use at alarming rates. New research published May 8 from the University of Illinois finds that alcohol use among Illinois teens is now double the national average, a shocking finding. Other drugs, including cannabis and prescription painkillers, are gaining ground as well. Are the kids OK? Increasingly, the data says no. About 21% of eighth graders, 28% of 10th graders, and 39% of high school seniors reported using substances such as alcohol, marijuana, inhalants (like glue or gases) or vaping products. A smaller proportion — 1% of eighth and 10th graders, and 2% of seniors — reported using drugs including ecstasy, crack/cocaine, heroin or hallucinogens such as LSD, according to the survey. 13.7% of teens in Illinois reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days, compared with 6.9% nationwide. We can think of two major forces driving troubling trends among teens: the persistent aftereffects of COVID and social media isolation. And it's incumbent upon us all to continue having conversations about what's going on. The world has changed since COVID broke out, and we're now long past the widespread executive orders that locked down the state, our schools and businesses for months on end. The years of lockdowns and masking had a significant effect on the young people. Those surveyed by U. of I. would have been anywhere from 8 to 13 years old when the pandemic completely disrupted their lives. Instead of being in classrooms, engaging face-to-face with teachers and peers, young people were thrust onto screens, mirroring adults' desk-bound routines. Sports vanished, graduations were skipped, and normal social interactions evaporated. Even when Illinois schools reopened — later than in many states — mask mandates persisted, complicating speech development and social interactions. The masking divide sometimes triggered uncomfortable tensions among peers, deepening feelings of isolation for kids already struggling with unprecedented disruptions. And kids in this age window were among the most adversely affected. In addition to studies examining substance abuse, we also know that depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are increasing among young people. COVID isolation laid the groundwork for teen vulnerability, but social media entrenched it further. Both increased loneliness, insecurity and isolation. The internet is not real life, but to kids it can cause agony or ecstasy, depending on what they see. Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for a warning label on social media, pointing to an alarming statistic: Teenagers are spending an average of 4.8 hours a day on social media. That number in itself is shocking — where are teens finding this much time to scroll? But it's made even worse once you learn that a team of researchers found that when adolescents spend more than three hours a day on social media, they're at a heightened risk for mental health issues. Half of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies, and a third say it affects their grades, according to a 2022 survey from Boston Children's Hospital. Often, we look to public policy solutions to fix big problems, but addressing teen substance abuse and mental health effectively starts at home. Parents and guardians must make the sometimes unpopular decision to set firm boundaries around when children receive devices and access social media. Giving kids an iPhone or iPad at a young age may quiet them temporarily, but it can also stunt their ability to develop essential social skills, such as making eye contact, carrying on conversations, and coping with stress or delayed gratification — all natural and necessary parts of the human experience. Avoiding these skills may offer short-term ease, but in the long run, it leads to challenges that are difficult to reverse. The U. of I. data on substance abuse is one measure of how young people are coping with the stressors of a world in which everyone and everything are online, and where loneliness felt in an acutely physical way during COVID has taken on a monstrous form in the specter of a digital world that can leave them feeling confused, left out, ugly and alone. Adults created this digital dependency; now we must encourage teens back into meaningful engagement with the real world.
Chicago Tribune
12-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: Illinois grows more soybeans than any other state. What happened to the Republican support?
Back when Republicans were a mighty political force in Illinois, one of the party's great unifiers was the humble soybean. Illinois produces more of these fuzzy legumes than any other state, and the GOP could be counted on to support local farmers who want, above all, a healthy market for this lucrative cash crop. Fast forward to 2025, and a University of Illinois research hub that spreads the gospel of soybeans around the world narrowly escaped extinction last month, no thanks to today's Republican Party. The Soybean Innovation Lab in downstate Urbana is among a group of 19 agriculture research laboratories at land-grant universities around the country. Their work traditionally has won strong bipartisan support. For good reason: This U. of I. lab specializes in building a market for U.S.-grown soybeans in fast-growing countries where no market previously existed. Soybean markets are made, not born. Big swaths of the developing world have no experience with the crop. They have no proper storage for it, or the capability to crush it into high-protein soy meal and cooking oil. In the African country of Malawi, for instance, the Innovation Lab has launched a promising project encouraging small-time farmers who mostly produce subsistence crops like cassava and cowpeas to diversify into soybeans. The lab works with both local and international companies to develop know-how and facilities. Once private enterprise is positioned to take over, the population of Malawi can start to consume more and more soybeans. The development helps to lift the country out of poverty and, over time, opens it to U.S. exports of a crop that Malawi can't currently put to good use. Peter Goldsmith, a U. of I. professor who runs the lab, told us at a recent meeting that he regularly gets asked to explain the long-range thinking that goes into developing new markets for American crops. 'I work very closely with Illinois and U.S. growers,' he said. 'We de-risk the market and then the private sector follows on.' The lab relied on funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, one of President Donald Trump's top targets in his stated effort to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse. In January, Goldsmith was put on notice that a review would be undertaken. 'We thought, 'It's soybeans!'' he said. 'What we're doing is highly recognized as consistent with U.S. government interests. I felt nothing was going to happen.' In February, it happened. Although no review specific to his program occurred, Goldsmith got a letter saying his work no longer matched U.S. interests. He lost access to millions of government dollars that had been pledged to the lab and had no choice but to stop everything and dismiss the staff. 'That was a gut punch.' Then came another twist: In March, as the lab prepared to close for good, Goldsmith got a reprieve. An anonymous donor made a seven-figure gift to keep it going, via Founders Pledge, a London-based charity that connects entrepreneurs with worthy causes. The donor is a private company in Europe with a strong philanthropic arm but no connection to soybeans. It probably heard about the lab's plight from media accounts by the Tribune's Dan Petrella and others. The $1.02 million gift, about 30% of the lab's previous annual budget, was enough to rehire a few key employees and complete the investment in Malawi that otherwise would have been wasted — with plants in the ground left to rot and an August investor tour canceled. That private donors stepped in here is an encouraging silver lining. In a perfect world, this is a preferable form of funding. Today, the tour is back on, and already it is attracting food processors interested in putting their private funds into building infrastructure once the seeds of the program are planted, Goldsmith told us. 'The industry wants to switch over to soy. They want U.S. crops. Demand is crazy good.' Unfortunately, the donor's funding runs only through next April, and the related labs at other land-grant universities have found no one to save their programs, Goldsmith said. Soybeans and other U.S. cash crops evidently will be left to fend for themselves on the global stage. No one needs to tell us that Uncle Sam must cut spending. The federal budget deficits piling up are unsustainable. Something's got to give. What's painful is seeing Republican lawmakers who for decades have been among agriculture's biggest supporters selling out the future of American farming. The current trade war is sure to help America's competitors, especially in South America. During Trump's first term, his disputes with China opened the door for Brazil to dramatically expand its soybean production, and U.S. exports never recovered to their previous levels. In response, the U.S. government funneled tens of billions in direct payments to farmers and landowners hurt by its protectionist policies. They in turn overwhelmingly supported Trump in the November election, and Congress in December committed to spending an extra $10 billion in farm aid this year. That's probably just a down payment on whatever huge amount farmers will receive when the dust clears. So instead of the government investing in programs that will help Midwest agriculture retain its hard-won global dominance, farmers will be getting the equivalent of welfare for the rich while their long-term prospects diminish by the day. Ask practically any of Illinois' row-crop farmers or landowners, and they will tell you that if Uncle Sam is handing out fat checks, they'd be fools not to cash them. But let's be clear: America's soybean farmers are losing ground. At this rate, Illinois won't be the soybean capital of the world forever, and the state will be poorer for the loss.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration revokes student visas from University of Chicago, Northwestern and University of Illinois
CHICAGO — The state's top universities, including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, confirmed Wednesday that visas of international students were revoked by the Trump administration, joining a growing number of international students across the country who have had their visas canceled. Officials say that many if not all have been revoked with no explanation and no prior notice, creating confusion on campuses and deep-rooted fear among students. On Wednesday, U. of C. officials confirmed that the federal government terminated the F-1 visas for three current students and four recent graduates, while their Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) status had also been terminated. Meanwhile Southern Illinois University Edwardsville confirmed eight of its international students had their visas canceled, including three enrolled undergraduate students and five graduate students on optional practical training. Students from U. of I., University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern and Southern Illinois University Carbondale also have had their visas terminated, according to officials from those schools who declined to say how many. However, a high-ranking official at U. of I. who did not have permission to speak on the record told the Tribune that 19 students had their visas rescinded, according to data in the SEVIS system. SEVIS, an online system maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, is used to monitor the records and information of international students on F-1 or J-1 visas and keep track of students whose visa status is being challenged. Legal experts say once a SEVIS record is terminated, a student's legal status becomes immediately invalid and they must either leave the U.S. within the grace period, typically 15 days, or take steps to restore their status. Otherwise, they may risk deportation and future visa restrictions. 'My understanding is that Trump promised mass deportations and the people you can find that are the easiest to identify are students,' said Genevieve Lakier, a University of Chicago professor who specializes in freedom of speech and American constitutional law. 'They're in the system, and universities maintain records that are easy to access via multiple pathways. And of course, the administration doesn't like universities, so it does not mind disrupting their business model. It's a win-win for the administration and horrifying for our students, who are terrified.' Over the past week, nearly 300 full-time international students across the country were informed that their visa status had been revoked, making them targets of deportation and detainment. College officials and university communities are left to unpack what is happening and how best to advise its students. Many of the universities impacted by the cancellations in Illinois have large international student populations. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 10% of the student body at Northwestern has non-U.S. resident status, while U. of C.'s student body has 17% non-U.S. resident status and U. of I.'s student body has 15% non-U.S. resident status. Faculty and students at U. of C. told the Tribune that some of the visa revocations appear to be connected to minor infractions such as parking tickets or traffic violations, though school officials could not confirm. In Florida, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported this week a student from Colombia who was taken into custody by immigration agents after he was stopped by Gainesville police with an expired registration and driver's license signed his self-deportation and returned home. Other visa terminations are related to participation in pro-Palestinian protests or political speech criticizing Israel, such as the high-profile case of Mahmoud Khalil, who helped lead last spring's protests at Columbia University and now faces possible deportation despite facing no criminal charges. Some institutions have shared publicly that students have lost visas, but many colleges and universities have yet to disclose the exact number. The negative effects of the nationwide student visa revocations have been far-reaching, said Ida Salusky, research associate professor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Salusky, who works with undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students, said her students are scared about their visa status, citing the case of Rumeysa Ozturk — a Turkish international doctoral student at Tufts University who was taken by immigration officials near her home last month. 'The images of the young woman from Tufts in Boston, you know, basically being grabbed off the street. That's terrifying for any student, for any young person, especially for somebody who is on a visa,' Salusky said. Students are unable to fully focus on their work, causing them to be less productive, she noted. 'Everybody talks about and this administration is talking about, 'We want the people to be productive. We want our dollars to be well spent.' But that is hard to accomplish for anyone when you're in constant fear about whether you will be able to remain in the country to do the work or to pursue the degree and the studies that you came here to do,' Salusky said. U. of C. spokesperson Gerald McSwiggan said the Office of International Affairs (OIA) also identified the U. of C. terminations during an audit of SEVIS records. McSwiggan did not clarify when the visas were revoked or when students were notified. McSwiggan said the U. of C. is committed to continued deep engagement and active exchange with international students, scholars and visitors. 'The university has a long history of supporting America's position as a magnet for talented people from across the globe, and we will continue to work to assist the members of our international community,' he said. Last Friday, U. of I. sent a message to their student body that students at the university were affected by the widespread visa terminations. In the letter, U. of I. Chancellor Robert Jones and Provost John Coleman said the federal government does not proactively notify the university of no-contact terminations, adding that students whose immigration status has been terminated should 'consider making plans to exit the United States immediately' as the visa terminations do not carry a grace period. The letter encouraged students to speak with their departments about alternative ways of completing their degrees, including online learning. U. of I. declined to provide more details on which students were impacted out of privacy concerns, but said that they are 'working directly with affected students to help them connect with appropriate resources and understand their options.' Lakier, the U. of C. law professor, noted it was the 'pervasive practice of the Trump administration to not give notice.' She said school officials have recently implemented daily checks of the SEVIS portal to see who is in status and who is out. 'There is no provision of notice,' Lakier added. 'It is a fundamental principle of a system of rule of law that you give notice to people when their legal status or their legal rights change, that is just a basic norm so that they can structure their lives knowing the rule of the government.' Jackie Stevens, a professor of political science at Northwestern, said that while the deportations may help the Trump administration optically, it is unclear if the deportations advance any policy goals. 'I don't even know that it fits any particular policy goal, economic or otherwise, that the Trump administration has in mind,' Stevens said, 'but it does help them bump up the metrics as far as deporting people.' _____
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration revokes student visas from U. of C., Northwestern and U. of I.
The state's top universities, including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, confirmed Wednesday that visas of international students were revoked by the Trump administration, joining a growing number of international students across the country who have had their visas canceled. Officials say that many if not all have been revoked with no explanation and no prior notice, creating confusion on campuses and deep-rooted fear among students. On Wednesday, U. of C. officials confirmed that the federal government terminated the F-1 visas for three current students and four recent graduates, while their Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) status had also been terminated. Meanwhile Southern Illinois University Edwardsville confirmed eight of its international students had their visas canceled, including three enrolled undergraduate students and five graduate students on optional practical training. Students from U. of I., University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern and Southern Illinois University Carbondale also have had their visas terminated, according to officials from those schools who declined to say how many. However, a high-ranking official at U. of I. who did not have permission to speak on the record told the Tribune that 19 students had their visas rescinded, according to data in the SEVIS system. SEVIS, an online system maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, is used to monitor the records and information of international students on F-1 or J-1 visas and keep track of students whose visa status is being challenged. Legal experts say once a SEVIS record is terminated, a student's legal status becomes immediately invalid and they must either leave the U.S. within the grace period, typically 15 days, or take steps to restore their status. Otherwise, they may risk deportation and future visa restrictions. 'My understanding is that Trump promised mass deportations and the people you can find that are the easiest to identify are students,' said Genevieve Lakier, a University of Chicago professor who specializes in freedom of speech and American constitutional law. 'They're in the system and universities maintain records that are easy to access via multiple pathways. And of course, the administration doesn't like universities, so it does not mind disrupting their business model. It's a win-win for the administration and horrifying for our students who are terrified.' Over the past week, nearly 300 full-time international students across the country were informed that their visa status had been revoked, many if not all with no explanation and no prior notice, making them targets of deportation and detainment. College officials and university communities are left to unpack what is happening and how best to advise its students. Many of the universities impacted by the cancellations in Illinois have large international student populations. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 10% of the student body at Northwestern has non-U.S. resident status, while U. of C.'s student body has 17% non-U.S. resident status and U. of I.'s student body has 15% non-U.S. resident status. Faculty and students at U. of C. told the Tribune that some of the visa revocations appear to be connected to minor infractions such as parking tickets or traffic violations, though school officials could not Florida, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported this week a student from Colombia who was taken into custody by immigration agents after he was stopped by Gainesville police with an expired registration and driver's license, signed his self-deportation and returned home. Other visa terminations are related to participation in pro-Palestinian protests or political speech criticzing Israel, such as the high-profile case of Mahmoud Khalil, who helped lead last spring's protests at Columbia University and now faces possible deportation despite facing no criminal charges. Some institutions have shared publicly that students have lost visas but many colleges and universities have yet to disclose the exact number. The negative effects of the nationwide student visa revocations have been far-reaching, said Ida Salusky, research associate professor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Salusky, who works with undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students, said her students are scared about their visa status, citing the case of Rumeysa Ozturk — a Turkish international doctoral student at Tufts University who was taken by immigration officials near her home last month. 'The images of the young woman from Tufts in Boston, you know, basically being grabbed off the street. That's terrifying for any student, for any young person, especially for somebody who is on a visa,' Salusky said. Students are unable to fully focus on their work, causing them to be less productive, she noted. 'Everybody talks about and this administration is talking about, 'We want the people to be productive. We want our dollars to be well spent.' But that is hard to accomplish for anyone when you're in constant fear about whether you will be able to remain in the country to do the work or to pursue the degree and the studies that you came here to do,' Salusky said. U. of C. spokesperson Gerald McSwiggan said the Office of International Affairs (OIA) also identified the U. of C. terminations during an audit of SEVIS records. McSwiggan did not clarify when the visas were revoked or when students were notified. McSwiggan said the U. of C. is committed to continued deep engagement and active exchange with international students, scholars and visitors. 'The university has a long history of supporting America's position as a magnet for talented people from across the globe, and we will continue to work to assist the members of our international community,' he said. Last Friday, U. of I. sent a message to their student body that students at the university were affected by the widespread visa terminations. In the letter, U. of I. Chancellor Robert Jones and Provost John Coleman said the federal government does not proactively notify the university of no-contact terminations, adding that students whose immigration status has been terminated should 'consider making plans to exit the United States immediately' as the visa terminations do not carry a grace period. The letter encouraged students to speak with their departments about alternative ways of completing their degrees, including online learning. U. of I. declined to provide more details on which students were impacted out of privacy concerns, but said that they are 'working directly with affected students to help them connect with appropriate resources and understand their options.' Lakier, the U. of C. law professor, noted it was the 'pervasive practice of the Trump administration to not give notice.' She said school officials have recently implemented daily checks of the SEVIS portal to see who is in status and who is out. 'There is no provision of notice,' Lakier added. 'It is a fundamental principle of a system of rule of law that you give notice to people when their legal status or their legal rights change, that is just a basic norm so that they can structure their lives knowing the rule of the government.' Jackie Stevens, a professor of political science at Northwestern, said that while the deportations may help the Trump administration optically, it is unclear if the deportations advance any policy goals. 'I don't even know that it fits any particular policy goal, economic or otherwise, that the Trump administration has in mind,' Stevens said, 'but it does help them bump up the metrics as far as deporting people.'
