Dear Erica,
The campaign to defend the Duration of Status policy and oppose other harmful affronts to international students and higher education reached a crescendo before the comment period ended on September 29. NAFSA submitted its extensive comment letter and lent its expertise and endorsement to several others, including those led by the American Council on Education and Compete America. (Note that the Federal Register website now shows that the total number of comments submitted to Regulations.gov was actually nearly 22,000—not 1 million plus as posted last week).
A total of 33 House Democrats joined U.S. Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, calling the proposal to end D/S “the latest in a series of unwarranted policy changes that have undermined our role as a leader in international education and harmed universities, businesses, and U.S. students that depend on foreign student enrollment.” If you are represented by one of these representatives, please thank them for their leadership.
The turn from September to October also brought with it a U.S. federal government shutdown, the first since December 2018. As described on a new NAFSA page, the consequences of federal shutdowns vary depending on whether the operation is fee-funded or relies on appropriations: “While some essential services, such as USCIS adjudications, State Department consular operations, and ICE functions typically continue, other services, like the Department of Labor’s labor certifications or USCIS programs dependent on appropriations, may halt until funding is restored.” The Alliance for International Exchange also analyzed the potential impact of a U.S. government shutdown on international exchange programs. Additionally, the American Council on Education posted guidance with respect to U.S. student education benefits and services as well as research funding.
Speaking of appropriations, what a mess. Not only are some congressionally appropriated FY2025 funds still in limbo but the government shutdown may hasten federal layoffs that will only complicate the FY2026 funding picture. NAFSA joined a letter led by the American Council on Education describing the harm caused by the FY2025 funding uncertainty and urging House and Senate leadership to ensure that all FY2026 appropriations bills include the mandate that those funds be disbursed.
NAFSA media mentions this week included a CNBC story, ‘A Perfect Storm—More Colleges at Risk as Enrolment Falls and Financial Pressures Mount, a Reuters piece, Fewer Foreign Students, Fewer Dollars: U.S. Colleges Feel the Pinch, and a Cincinnati Enquirer story, “UC Sees 40% Drop in New International Grad Students, What it Means for Cincinnati” (wherein the reporters make the connection between international talent and the city’s economy and workforce pipeline). Also of note, New York Times opinion columnist Ross Douthat interviewed May Mailman from the Trump administration on their strategy to reshape U.S. higher education. Read more coverage on our NAFSA in the News page.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
That's all for today. Be well.
Best,
Erica
Erica Stewart
Senior Director, Advocacy & Strategic Communications
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
