Presidents ‘ Alliance calls Trump policies dangerous to international students, while emigration professional says schools may engage in U. S. citizens ,
In a digital presentation this month, the Presidents ‘ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration criticized President-elect Donald Trump’s policy recommendations as dangerous to overseas students.
One immigration professional, but, told The College Fix that schools should set” the passions of Americans first”.
” We’re looking at another Trump presidency in which they’ve promised some things in regard to immigration, large arrests”, Alliance head Louis Caldera said during the presentation.
These points “are certainly in the interest of our campuses… and may harm students”, he said.
According to its website, the Alliance brings together” American college and university officials who are committed to increasing public awareness of the effects of immigration policies and practices on our individuals.” It was launched to “protect illegal kids”, Caldera said.
In a media release announcing the presentation, the Alliance reaffirmed its” unwavering commitment to illegal, immigrant-origin, worldwide, and migrant students”.
The event information reads,” This lecture aimed to provide practical steps to argue for and support immigrant, worldwide, and refugee students. It also aimed to provide campus leaders with a clear understanding of the post-election policy landscape.”
Another listener, President of TheDream. US Gabby Pacheco,  , said Trump’s immigration plans are “less but tools for them to actually accomplish anything, but more so tools to create anxiety”.
Trump may create “very difficult decisions” to create because people are” just so afraid,” she said.
Pacheco, who leads a school success programme for illegal refugees, called this “psychological battle”.
The speech, she said,” we saw them perform with refugees, and it’s possible to get worse.”
Cecilia Esterline, a policy analyst for the Niskanen Center for immigration, outlined some of the” troubling” policies that the Trump administration might adopt.
She said that Project 2025, a project led by the Heritage Foundation to develop conventional policy proposals, is likely to be closely resemble Trump’s emigration scheme. Some of the site’s targets are to” secure the borders, finish building the wall, and arrest illegal creatures”, “de-weaponize the Federal Government”, and “ban biological men from competing in women’s sports”, according to the plan book.
MORE: Trump ( still ) needs to enforce this illegal immigrant tuition law
When reached for comment, Esterline directed The Fix to an article she wrote titled” Unveiling the far right’s plan to destroy immigration in a second Trump term.”
Trump’s proposals are” a meticulously orchestrated, comprehensive plan to drive immigration levels to unprecedented lows and increase the federal government’s power to the states ‘ detriment”, she wrote in the article.
In contrast, Jon Feere, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, stated in an email to The College Fix that, in the wake of Trump’s victory, universities should accept fewer illegal immigrants.
It makes no sense for a college to deny a legal resident a seat in favor of someone who might be deported at any time, he said.
According to Feere, “schools should be investing in American citizens and legal residents rather than foreigners who believe they are above the law.”
The problem, according to Feere, is more significant than the small number of illegal aliens attending schools. It’s also about the nearly 1.5 million foreign students on American campuses.
The foreign student program should be closely monitored by the federal government and put the interests of Americans first, Feere said.
He claimed that the educational system has been operating as a foreign worker program rather than an educational program, for example, with the contentious Optional Practical Training program.
According to Feere,” Many foreigners are cheating the foreign student program and attempting to get H-1B visas while doing so for a number of reasons.”
This was never Congress’s intent when it established the foreign student program. It was “meant to focus on cultural exchange”, he said.
Further, “schools have allowed their student body population to become majority foreign student, either campus-wide or within certain degree fields”, Feere said.
He suggested that Congress take into account restrictions to aid American students ‘ STEM achievement.
MORE: ‘ Authoritarian regime ‘: Wesleyan president blasts Trump as threat to ‘ undocumented’ students
IMAGE: Presidents’ Alliance/Youtube
Follow The College Fix on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
