As President Trump challenges the admittance and attendance of international students at Harvard University, his policy on student visas is increasingly narrow.
The Trump Administration has recently tackled Harvard University, targeting their international students. What could this mean for international students across the United States?
International students in the US come to go to school but many also come to work. Programs such as the J-1 student Visa program allow for college students all over the world to come work for the summer. Mostly in tourist towns, these students often work multiple jobs to earn money to bring back to their home countries.
In towns that rely on their seasonal workforce, losing J-1 student employees could pose major risks for the state and federal economies.
According to information collected by MSNBC, international students in Massachusetts contribute more than $4 million alone into the state economy and support more than 35,000 jobs in Massachusetts.
Harvard boasts a large international student population and is a big target to Trump’s immigration policy reform, especially as the most elite university in the country.
In Harvard’s court filing against the President at the end of may expressed the importance of international students at the institution. They said that revoking the visas over more than 7,000 students would be devastating for the university. Most international students are enrolled under f-1 visas, but they also serve as sponsors for the J-1 visa program too.
The history of international students in America
Students first came to the United States to study in 1946 as part of the Fulbright Program. Signed into law by President Truman, the program established an exchange program for students and professionals with nations globally.
The program is extensive. Grants, scholarships, cultural exchange is its premise. Although the Fulbright program is primarily for students looking to study in the US, or vice versa, it has also allowed people to come work in America.
The Fulbright Acts established a series of programs like the J-1 visa exchange. Each visa is issued by the State Department and typically operates on a seasonal basis.
China was the first country to sign a Fulbright agreement with the US. Burma signed an agreement following China, and the program continued to expand from there. Now, the program services more than 160 countries.
International students vs Student workers
Although many international students are allowed to work under their student visas, there are many different kinds of visas for students looking to come to America.
Trump’s main focus has been on students with education visas, they’re granted the ability to attend US universities and participate in work-study programs. These visas tend to be a part of the F-1 program.
Although F-1 students are receiving the brunt of Trump’s threats to international students, the status of foreign students who come as seasonal workers also remains in limbo.
Students who come to America to work for an allotted period of time tend to come on J-1 student visas. The J-1 program is expansive. The J-1 program requires an employer to sponsor a foreign born student in order to apply.
Student workers and the economy
In States that rely on seasonal tourism, a lack of employees could be detrimental to the livelihood of millions of Americans.
Foreign-born workers are important to state economies, especially when they fill labor shortages. In many states, foreign workers still pay state taxes on weekly pay even though they are not residents. This helps states generate more tax revenue.
The National Immigration Forum is a US based non-profit that advocates for immigrant rights, and they study patterns of internationally born workers. Their research found that J-1 student works are an irreplaceable asset to many local economies. According to the forum, “if businesses were to eliminate foreign workers, the consequences could include closure, layoffs, and reduced hours.”
The Immigration Forum also found that nearly 300,000 people are currently recipients of j-1 visas. These workers come from around 200 countries and territories. Most of these exchange students work in California, New York, and Florida.
All of these locations welcome mass amounts of tourists all throughout the year, from all around the world.
Labor shortages have been seen most recently in hospitality, construction, and manufacturing. If States lose access to laborers who fill these shortages, economies across the nation could suffer.
Since taking office earlier this year, Trump continues to make attempts at limiting legal immigration into the US. Student visas are included in these limitations.
According to Forbes, legal immigration greatly declined during Trump’s first term, and that cycle is set to continue. The Trump Administration signed an executive order in February to reduce embassy staffing which will lead to visa reductions as the process slows.
The economic implications of a widespread international student ban could lead to thousands of businesses going out of business. If employers cannot find laborers to fill shortages, many will be forced to close their doors for good.
The F-1 Visa program is even larger. According to USA Today, there are more than 1.5 million international students in the US currently.
The political implications
The Fulbright acts were signed into law as an economic exchange and as a cultural exchange. President Truman signed the legislation for economic motivations as well as motivations for strengthening foreign relations.
The idea behind the exchange programs is that it fosters cultural connections between nations and forces them to cooperate. As Trump tries to strike this down, global tensions may rise.
Each Presidential administration tackles legal immigration differently. Republicans and Democrats have both made cuts to Fullbright funding in the past, but not drastically.
Prior to Trump’s first time in office, the Obama Administration made cuts to Fulbright funding. This decision was unpopular among other politicians and within higher education.
Although other administrations have made efforts to shrink the size of the program, not many have made motions to completely eliminate it. In Trump’s first time, he slashed funding for the Fulbright program by nearly 71% and that pattern is very likely to repeat.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked Trump from banning international students at Harvard. If the ban is ever accepted, then Harvard will lose a quarter of its student body.
