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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
After contributions to Virginia, international students face uncertainty due to Trump's visa changes
The University of Virginia has been a critical benefactor of international students during the 2023-24 school year, according to NAFSA. (Sarah Vogelsong / Virginia Mercury) Virginia's colleges and universities could lose millions of dollars and thousands of jobs after the federal government froze international student visa interviews on Tuesday, mounted efforts to require all foreign students to undergo social media vetting and announced plans to 'aggressively revoke' Chinese students' visas. The actions, spearheaded by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the behest of President Donald Trump's administration, are likely to disrupt international students considering attending any of the schools in the commonwealth. Over 21,000 international students were enrolled at Virginia colleges and universities in the 2023-2024 academic year, according to the National Association of Foreign Advisors' Association of International Educators. International students contributed $807.2 million to Virginia's higher learning institutions in the same period, NAFSA reported in its latest data. Tim Gibson, president of the Virginia Conference of the American Association of University Professors, said the student visa interview pause and other changes could negatively impact international students, who have proven to make positive contributions to U.S. universities and the commonwealth, and deter international students from pursuing an education in America, including Virginia. 'They just want to learn and they come here because they want to learn from us,' Gibson said, 'and they want to learn at American universities because American universities have a stellar reputation around the world for academic freedom, for having resources to support excellent undergraduate and graduate instruction, and for having the kind of freedom of an openness to explore the questions you want to explore and to make the contributions you want to make.' George Mason University, located in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia, was the highest recipient of funding from international students, receiving $207.5 million, ahead of Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, VCU, and Northern Virginia Community College, which rounded out the top five institutions in the commonwealth with the most financial benefit from foreign students during the 2023-24 school year. Student visas are essential for international students to legally enter, reside, and study in the United States, including at institutions in Virginia, which, if foreign students stop attending, could face financial challenges since students from outside the U.S. pay higher tuition fees compared to in-state students. Since Tuesday, the administration has directed U.S. embassies and consulates, who are responsible for issuing visas, to suspend new visa interviews for international students seeking to study in the U.S. until further guidance is provided. The move comes after the administration accused some institutions, including Harvard University, of allowing antisemitism on campus. The administration is attempting to revoke Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which enables the university to enroll international students. A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's attempt to do so, after Harvard filed a lawsuit to retain the right to admit international students. On Wednesday, Rubio announced the State Department along with the Department of Homeland Security will be revoking visas for Chinese students, including those with 'connections' to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in 'critical fields.' The agencies will be revising visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong, Rubio's statement read. Gibson said the announcement is concerning for many students, especially graduate students, because they often bring their families who attend daycares and schools in the commonwealth. 'Now they're threatened with deportation for no reason other than paranoia, racism, and xenophobia,' Gibson said. 'Even just making a threat has irreparably harmed the international reputation of our universities and colleges.' In a statement on Tuesday, NAFSA said the latest action by the Trump administration is another 'misguided' and 'deeply troubling attack' against international students, who are facing arrests, visa revocations and threats to their ability to enroll in certain U.S. institutions. The association said it's also a waste of taxpayer funding to screen students who are already subject to extensive background checks, compared to business visitors and tourists. 'If the administration believes enhanced scrutiny is necessary, it should be applied uniformly — not selectively to students who have long contributed to American classrooms, communities, and cutting-edge research,' a NAFSA representative said. 'Moreover, there is no urgent justification to halt visa appointments while internal policy updates are considered. This only adds unnecessary delays, fuels uncertainty, and damages our reputation as a welcoming destination for global talent.' This week's actions aren't the first issues concerning international students the Trump administration has weighed in on. In January, the administration directed U.S. diplomats and consulates to refer certain student and exchange visitor visa applicants to its fraud prevention unit for mandatory social media checks, through two executive orders focused on protecting the country from foreign threats and combating antisemitism. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rain and lack of prolonged heat helps drought issues and more Virginia headlines
The state Capitol. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) • 'Rain, lack of prolonged heat helps drought issues.' — WWBT • 'Abigail Spanberger launches her first TV ad in Virginia governor's race.' — NBC News • 'Democratic candidates for attorney general talk opioids, Trump and Southwest Virginia.' — Cardinal News • 'Wave Children's Learning Center in Virginia Beach abruptly shutting down.' — WAVY • 'Redevelopment proposals in Seven Corners draw pushback from some neighbors.' — FFXnow SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Possible reduction of SNAP program raises alarms for Virginia foodbank and more state headlines
The state Capitol. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) • 'Virginia Democrats on track to smash primary early voting record.' — WVTF • 'How local police are using LPR surveillance cameras.' — Cardinal News • 'Virginia is finally for wine lovers.' — The New York Times • 'Possible reduction of SNAP program raises alarms for Virginia foodbank.' — WAVY • 'Virginia Beach mayor defends decision to close Mt. Trashmore carnival.' — WTKR SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Possible reduction of SNAP program raises alarms for Virginia foodbank and more state headlines
The state Capitol. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) • 'Virginia Democrats on track to smash primary early voting record.' — WVTF • 'How local police are using LPR surveillance cameras.' — Cardinal News • 'Virginia is finally for wine lovers.' — The New York Times • 'Possible reduction of SNAP program raises alarms for Virginia foodbank.' — WAVY • 'Virginia Beach mayor defends decision to close Mt. Trashmore carnival.' — WTKR SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
New boil water advisory issued in Richmond, months after January water crisis
Anna Wilson fills jars and bottles from Wayside Spring in the Forest Hill neighborhood during a citywide water outage in Richmond, on Jan. 9, 2025. (Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce for the Virginia Mercury) Richmond officials issued a new boil water advisory Tuesday for large swaths of the city, less than six months after a catastrophic water crisis left much of the region without safe drinking water for days. The latest advisory, announced by the city of Richmond in coordination with the Virginia Department of Health, affects residents served by the Ginter Park Tank, including neighborhoods such as Byrd Park, Brookland Park, Carver, Carytown, Chamberlayne, the Fan, Jackson Ward, Oregon Hill, Randolph and the VCU Monroe Park campus. Some customers may experience total service loss or low pressure. Others may not notice a change, but officials urged all residents to conserve water immediately and to boil water before consuming it. 'This advisory comes after the city's water treatment plant experienced an operational issue in the early morning hours on Tuesday, May 27, and after the water system had been restored to full production,' the city said in a statement. 'The filters re-clogged after running at full production for over an hour.' The pressure drop has impacted the Ginter Park tank, and while the city says it is monitoring efforts to restore full pressure, no timeline has been given. The city warned that the list of affected areas could grow if usage continues to outpace supply. 'As a cautionary measure, all residents are asked to conserve water to ensure all needs are met during this time,' the statement said. 'We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates to our customers as new information becomes available.' Officials urged residents to avoid drinking tap water, making ice, brushing teeth, cooking, or washing food or dishes with unboiled tap water. Full water safety guidelines and neighborhood maps are available at The advisory is likely to draw renewed scrutiny to Richmond's water system, which remains under investigation following the massive January breakdown that left thousands without water or usable water pressure for nearly a week. In April, the Virginia Department of Health released a scathing 314-page report on the January event, calling it 'completely avoidable' and the result of 'a long chain of preventable failures' at the city's century-old Water Treatment Plant. 'This crisis could have been prevented with better operational decisions,' State Health Commissioner Dr. Karen Shelton said at the time. 'Our goal now is to ensure corrective actions are taken swiftly and effectively, so Richmond-area families can trust their water supply.' The report, based on an independent probe by the engineering firm Short Elliott Hendrickson, detailed a cascade of failures, such as untested batteries, broken valves and neglected emergency protocols. When a winter storm knocked out overhead power lines on Jan. 6, the plant's backup systems failed, flooding underground equipment rooms and halting production. The city's response was slow and, in many cases, ineffective. By the time Richmond issued a boil advisory that afternoon, pressure had already dropped dangerously low. Water systems in Henrico, Hanover and Goochland counties, which connect to Richmond's, were also impacted. Full restoration didn't come until Jan. 9, and the boil order wasn't lifted until Jan. 11. Gov. Glenn Youngkin called the disruption 'unacceptable' and said, 'It should never happen again.' As a result of the January failure, the city received a second formal notice of violation and is now under a mandate to develop and implement a corrective action plan. The SEH report identified over $63 million in additional needed improvements, on top of $60 million already proposed in the city's capital plan. Those upgrades include modernizing electrical systems, automating emergency operations, and redesigning the clearwell overflow system to prevent future floods. While Mayor Danny Avula said he was 'incredibly proud' of the work done so far by the Department of Public Utilities, the VDH's findings painted a picture of what one official called a 'culture of complacency,' where temporary workarounds were the norm and long-standing vulnerabilities went unresolved. Now, just weeks later, the system has suffered another setback. The city said it will continue to post updates on its website and social media platforms. Residents are encouraged to check those resources regularly and to follow all water safety precautions until the advisory is lifted. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
