Why Should Delaware Care?
International student arrivals in the U.S. dropped by nearly 19% in August, compared to the same time last year, after the Trump administration implemented new visa restrictions. The administration argued that international students have long exploited the visa process by being perpetually enrolled in higher education classes to stay in the country.
Several dozen students marched to the University of Delaware’s Office of the President on Thursday, demanding protection for international students and actions to shield the school from federal immigration enforcement on campus.
UD’s Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter garnered more than 400 signatures in support of protecting the school’s international students for a petition they left on interim UD President Laura Carlson’s doorstep in Newark. During the demonstration, students underscored what they said was inaction by university leadership since the U.S. Department of Homeland Security revoked and later restored the visas of eight international UD students in April.
“There hasn’t been a change,” said Breya Scarlett, a member of UD’s Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter.
Students called upon the university to take steps to become a “sanctuary campus” by not sharing student information with federal immigration agents and to ensure that deportations do not happen on school grounds.
Scarlett asked that UD’s police department publicly acknowledge its compliance with the recent state law that bars law enforcement agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
It’s not the first time these demands have been made. Advocates previously urged then-UD President Dennis Assanis to declare the school a “sanctuary campus,” after President Donald Trump was first elected in 2016.
While there is no definitive definition of a “sanctuary campus,” it generally refers to a university that will not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and, or, refuses to share student information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Portland State University, Morehouse College and Wesleyan University have all claimed to be “sanctuary” campuses.
“I have been a foreign student, and I have felt the protection of a university,” said Charito Calvachi-Mateyko, an attendee and community advocate. “Why is it that (universities) are now selling out to this administration?”
In March, plainclothes ICE agents arrested a Tufts University doctoral student after her student visa was canceled days before.
Christopher Vito, a UD spokesperson, said the university is committed to supporting its international students and helps connect them with available resources.
“We recognize that international students and scholars face unique challenges, particularly in the current environment,” Vito said in a written statement.
The UD demonstration comes nearly two months after the Trump administration proposed new limitations on the amount of time international students can remain in the country, capping it at four years at most. As it stands, international students can legally remain in the U.S. if they are pursuing an academic program toward completion.
The administration argued that international students have long exploited the visa process by being perpetually enrolled in higher education classes to stay in the country. This new rule would curb these “forever students,” according to the Trump administration.
Critics, however, say the new rule will lead to a drop in the number of international students who study in the U.S.
In August, at the beginning of the new academic year, international student arrivals fell by nearly 19%, compared to August 2024, according to a New York Times analysis of International Trade Administration data.
UD is heavily dependent on international students for its master’s and doctoral programs, where 42% of students were from abroad in 2023 — ranking 32nd out of all universities nationwide.
International students are not eligible to receive federal financial aid and often pay full out-of-state tuition. They therefore have become an important source of revenue for UD as it has faced recent budget deficits coming out of COVID.
In April, DHS revoked visas for eight international students and recent graduates who were affiliated with post-graduation work at UD. Students at Thursday’s demonstration demanded that a fund be established for international students who face disruptions due to federal immigration enforcement.
Nationwide, the U.S. State Department claims to have revoked more than 6,000 international student visas so far this year.
The visas were revoked because the students overstayed their visas or broke the law, according to the State Department. In May, the administration temporarily paused visa interviews for international students as it cracked down on the vetting of applicants’ social media accounts.
At UD’s demonstration, the students placed a box filled with the petition, their written demands and signs at the steps of Carlson’s office. It is unclear if, or how, Carlson will respond.
