Amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on foreign student visas, several Catholic universities contacted by OSV News said they are actively seeking to support affected students.
“Our international students, scholars and their families are important and vital members of our campus community, and we will continue working to ensure that they are welcomed and supported at Notre Dame,” the University of Notre Dame told OSV News in an emailed statement May 29.
“We are highly concerned and troubled that the State Department has chosen to halt the interviews required for international students to obtain visas during this crucial admission period for our incoming classes, creating uncertainty for our international students and our admissions process,” Santa Clara University said in a May 30 statement to OSV News, adding that the school “continues to support newly admitted and current international students during this process.”
After revoking Harvard University’s ability to accept foreign students May 22 — a move currently being battled in the courts, while the Department of Homeland Security later gave the school 30 days to prove it satisfies visa program requirements — the Trump administration ordered U.S. embassies throughout the world to pause further appointments for student visas, while noting that social media vetting of applicants would be expanded. Previously scheduled appointments will still proceed, although no new applications will be considered.
CBS News reported it had viewed a copy of the May 27 cable from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who indicated the measures would remain in place “until further guidance is issued.”
In a May 28 statement, Rubio said the State Department would partner with the Department of Homeland Security “to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.
“We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong,” said Rubio.
Foreign students in the U.S. numbered more than 1.1 million during the 2023-2024 academic year, and — according to the nonprofit NAFSA, the Association of International Educators — boosted the nation’s economy by $43.8 billion.
In many cases, particularly at large research universities, international students pay higher tuition rates at the schools they attend, according to the American Council on Education.
Fordham University — which counts more than 1,800 international students among its total student body of 17,000 — has created a dedicated webpage with extensive information for those impacted by the administration’s new policies on immigration, research, financial aid and other concerns.
The webpage directs students, faculty and staff who are in danger of immigration arrest, detention or deportation to call the university’s public safety department, which in turn will connect them with university resources.
