By Michael Purtell
A SUNY Plattsburgh student is facing sudden deportation due to recent changes to federal legislation by President Donald Trump.
The federal government has made changes to the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System, leading to students nationwide losing access to their visas. An unidentified Plattsburgh student had their visa revoked, and has been given a date to leave the United States. The student will need to reapply for their student visa in order to reenter the country.
“My concern is for the student that’s been impacted,” SUNY Plattsburgh President Dr. Alexander Enyedi said. “Our focus has been 100% on supporting that student, providing them the best possible guidance and advice, but also providing them follow-up care on campus and pointing them in the direction of how they can actually resolve and figure out what their next steps are. We will work on this one student at a time.”
Reports of unexpected changes to student visas have come from colleges and universities across the nation. SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said the cases have SUNY “very concerned.”
“We have had students have their visas revoked across the student system,” King said. “This is something you’re seeing across higher ed institutions around the country. The real worry is that the United States has had this incredible asset of a higher education system that attracts the best talent from around the world, and it has helped to drive innovation in our economy. It’s helped to build many of the great companies of today who benefited from the academic work and research done on our campuses by students who are international students. So it’s very worrisome that we’re seeing this backsliding from our commitment to serving international students.”
Plattsburgh is currently the host of around 80 international students, according to King. The school wrote in a campus-wide email that it is currently helping students on visas assess their individual needs, and is working with the New York State Office for New Americans to keep information for students up to date and offer legal counsel.
This support system is available across SUNY campuses and includes personal support as well as legal, King said.
“Yeah, so we’re working closely with the students to provide them with support in various ways. For some students, it’s mental health support because this is a very traumatic disruption to their vision for their own education. It’s academic support to help them figure out how to navigate given their changed immigration status,” King said. “it’s very difficult for students, and I’m very worried for the students who are experiencing these disruptions, and again, worried about the impact this will have on the American higher education sector and the American economy.”
Future students may also be impacted by the changes to SEVIS, and may be pushed to reconsider pursuing their studies in America.
“We want to be the place where people around the world want to come to contribute to research and innovation economy, and we don’t want them to feel discouraged. I’m worried about potential decline in applications from international students, which would be a shame. It would reduce the quality of academic experience for all students.”
The changes to SEVIS come alongside the federal government’s crackdown on DEI programs, defined as “forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs,” by the whitehouse.gov website.
SUNY remains steadfast in its support of its DEI offices, King said.
“It’s in our enabling statute. More than 75 years ago when SUNY was created, it was created with the intention to serve all New Yorkers, all segments of New York and to provide, in the words of the statute, ‘the broadest possible access.’ The very principles of diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded in our enabling statute. We’re committed to that,” King said.
“We also comply with all laws and court orders, and we’ll continue to do so. You know, there’s litigation happening now around some of the directives that have been issued by the administration, we’re very confident that everything we’re doing at SUNY is consistent with the law.”
While SUNY’s hands are tied by federal law, trust is placed in the judicial and legislative branches to aid universities.
“I hope that the courts will step in,” King said. “I also hope Congress will step in to ensure that the United States can continue to be a beacon of higher education for the world.”
