When Crisis Comes to Campus

I recently had an exchange with an international student nearing the completion of her doctoral degree. “I’m not sure if I should go home this summer to conduct research,” she confided. “I’m afraid I might not be able to come back.” Her voice was steady, but her uncertainty was palpable. Behind her words were questions too many international students are asking these days: Do I still belong here? Does the United States still want me?

As of June 2025, more than one million international students were enrolled in US colleges and universities, according to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). These students contributed $44 billion to the US economy and supported nearly 380,000 jobs during the 2023–24 academic year, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, where I serve as executive director and CEO. Yet the ability of these students to remain on US campuses is increasingly precarious.

For many international students, the promise of higher education has collided with the political realities of the moment. The Trump administration continues to implement sweeping changes to immigration and research policies, cutting research funding, revoking visas without advanced notice, terminating SEVIS records (restored for the moment after legal pushback), and allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on campus, with ICE agents taking off-campus international students into custody. In spring 2025, some students returned to their home countries midsemester to avoid potential legal issues. Many of those who have remained in the United States now face uncertainty about their fall enrollment status. Scholars, too, are reconsidering whether they will be permitted to continue to do research in the United States, with some contemplating relocating to Europe or Asia.

In the face of such instability, institutions must do more than react—they must prepare. That preparation starts with asking key questions:

• What do we do when federal agents arrive on campus?
• Do our faculty and staff know our legal and institutional responsibilities?
• What protections are in place for those conducting sensitive research, in which international scholars and students are often involved?
• Are international students receiving consistent guidance from the institution?

In addition to supporting international students, we must also be intentional about global learning, which involves preparing all students to be global citizens in order to meet the major challenges requiring cross-border collaboration. As NAFSA describes, global learning “provides a deeper perspective by considering and evaluating our interconnected social, political, and cultural systems and the ways that this interconnectivity affects the necessary collaborative work needed to solve global issues.” Global learning should be embedded across the curriculum and cocurriculum, as well as informed by the lived experiences of international students on our campuses. 

What follows is a framework that institutions can adopt in times of crisis to support international students and advance global learning for all students. The framework is built around four pillars: prepare, respond, engage, and transform.

Prepare. Every institution needs a crisis response protocol that addresses SEVIS terminations, visa denials, and interactions with federal agents. Share the protocol widely across campus—don’t just place it in a binder in the international services office. Designate a cross-functional team trained to respond to federal inquiries. Include legal counselors, campus safety personnel, international services staff, and communications experts.

Some institutions have created wallet-size “know your rights” cards for international students and posted guidance in residence halls, libraries, and student centers. Others have hosted discussion-based exercises to simulate encounters with ICE officers. These actions are simple yet powerful ways to demonstrate preparedness and solidarity.

Respond. Students cannot thrive in an environment where they feel surveilled by federal agents or uncertain about their safety. Institutions must offer proactive support that meets real needs. This includes culturally responsive counseling services with multilingual access and emergency housing options, especially for graduate students. Legal support is also crucial, either through campus clinics or referrals to vetted immigration attorneys. Some campuses have hosted regular briefings with immigration lawyers, allowing students to ask questions and receive up-to-date guidance. These briefings are a lifeline in times of rapid policy shifts.

Engage. Inclusion must be systemic, not symbolic. Ensure international students are represented in student government roles, in orientation leadership positions, and on campus advisory boards. Establish formal and informal spaces for connection, both among international students and across student populations. Examples include globally themed living-learning communities and shared cultural festivals. Some institutions have “global buddies” programs, which match international students with domestic peers for conversation, cultural exchange, and community building. Outcomes show improved retention and engagement for all participants. 

International students are not “cash cows” or guest contributors. They are full members of our academic communities. We shouldn’t view them with a charity mindset (“How can we help them?”). Instead, we should have an equity mindset (“What systemic barriers do they face, and how can we remove them?”). For instance, admissions teams should evaluate whether financial aid policies are inclusive of international applicants. Career services should offer Optional Practical Training (federally authorized temporary employment related to an international student’s major area of study) and Curricular Practical Training (federally authorized work training particular to the needs of international students). Students who feel valued and connected are more likely to succeed academically and socially.

Transform. This current moment also invites us to fundamentally rethink the meaning and purpose of global learning, which helps all students consider and evaluate our interconnected social, political, and cultural systems. We must prioritize equity, reciprocity, and shared knowledge creation. This might look like deepening partnerships with institutions in the countries located in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, in which collaboration is based on mutual benefit and codeveloped research agendas. It means designing collaborative online international learning projects that connect classrooms across borders to examine issues such as climate justice or public health. And it means creating service-learning programs that allow all students to work alongside international communities, not as saviors but as partners.

Faculty development is essential to enhancing global learning. Campuses should support instructors in adopting culturally responsive teaching practices. One way might be through a faculty internationalization fellows program, which would bring together faculty from across disciplines to collaborate on integrating global perspectives into coursework. For example, in a biology course, students might explore the global impact of climate change on ecosystems across continents. In a literature course, students might engage with authors from diverse regions to examine postcolonial narratives. These efforts send a clear message that global learning is not the purview of a single office or department—it belongs everywhere.

At NAFSA, we work with thousands of professionals across the globe to champion policies and practices that support international students and scholars, as well as to advance global learning. We advocate for human-centered policies, promote professional development, and build networks that foster inclusive global learning environments. Our collective goal is to ensure every student, regardless of nationality, can thrive and contribute. In higher education, we can achieve this with our actions: offering not just warm gestures but enduring systems of support. Institutions must value international students not only for their economic and academic contributions but for the deeper global awareness, cross-cultural understanding, and problem-solving perspectives they bring. Their presence enriches learning for all students and strengthens the global reputation and reach of American higher education.

In this current political atmosphere, let us prepare with urgency, respond with care, engage with intention, and transform with humility. Let us make international student success and global learning whole-campus priorities. Let’s meet this moment—together. 

See also:
Practical Guide: ICE on Campus: What to Do
Practical Guide: International Students Are Facing Deportation. Here’s What to Know.

Illustration by Glen Harvey