Representative Pramila Jayapal, the first Indian-American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, has raised strong objections to the Trump administration’s recent actions revoking student visas and canceling the legal status of international students.
In a letter signed by more than 130 Democratic lawmakers, Jayapal demanded answers from the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), warning that the crackdown is creating fear on college campuses rather than fostering a climate of learning.
Jayapal’s letter directly questions the government’s motives and the scale of the revocations. She requested detailed information about how many student visas were canceled and on what grounds students were targeted.
The move, which came just weeks before graduation for many students, has disrupted the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of young international scholars. The revocations, she pointed out, have left many students in legal limbo and caused anxiety throughout the academic community.
“This appears to be an attack on student visa holders writ-large, and not just on those who hold policy positions with which the administration disagrees,” Jayapal wrote in her letter.
She emphasized that some of the targeted students had faced dismissed or unsubstantiated charges, including being listed in the National Crime Information Center database or participating in peaceful campus protests.
Despite a partial reversal of some visa cancellations in the federal SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) database, the uncertainty persists. The DHS has Read More….
Comments