Election Aftershocks: How U.S. Colleges Are Responding to the Trump Administration
U.S. universities are scrambling to adjust as President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns and policy reversals reverberate across the higher education sector.
International student enrollment is facing new uncertainty as the administration tightens visa rules and threatens to end protections for undocumented students brought to the country as children under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. Campus officials report a spike in requests for legal counseling from anxious international and DACA students.
Tensions have also grown over free speech and protest rules. The administration froze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard University after its leaders resisted adopting new policy guidelines. In response, more than 600 college and university presidents signed a letter condemning what they called “unprecedented government overreach.”
Research funding is another flashpoint. Climate science and environmental programs, previously supported through federal agencies, now face cuts as priorities shift toward promoting what the administration describes as “patriotic education.” Universities funded by federal dollars are reassessing projects and diversifying funding sources.
In response, institutions are rolling out protective measures. Some are setting up legal aid funds for students at risk, while others are adopting “sanctuary campus” policies to limit cooperation with immigration enforcement. Many are also expanding partnerships with overseas universities to safeguard research collaborations and student exchange programs.
The standoff between federal authority and institutional independence is reshaping operations at colleges nationwide. Administrators say they are navigating the challenge of complying with shifting federal mandates while preserving academic freedom and protecting vulnerable students.
Evelyn Nam For The Teen Times teen/1760591740/1613367659
1. Who is affected by the immigration and visa changes at U.S. colleges?
2. Why might international students feel worried about studying in the U.S.?
3. What is DACA, and why are students under this program concerned about the new policies?
4. What happened to Harvard after it resisted the new guidelines from the federal government?
1. If you were an international student, how would you feel about changes to visa rules in the U.S.?
2. Would you worry about your future if you were protected under DACA and heard about new policies?
3. If your school offered legal help for students at risk, would you use it?
4. Would you speak up if you felt your right to free speech was being threatened at school?
U.S. universities are scrambling to adjust as President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns and policy reversals reverberate across the higher education sector.
