Deporting international students risks making the U.S. a less attractive destination

In early April the Trump administration terminated the immigration statuses of thousands of international students listed in a regime database meaning they no longer had legal permission to be in the country Specific students self-deported instead of facing deportation The U S Department of Homeland Assurance just now communicated that it would reverse the terminations after courts across the country determined they did not have merit These moves come as the White House seeks to enhance vetting and screening of all foreign nationals The State Department in March stated plans to use artificial intelligence to review international students social media accounts As an administrator and scholar who specializes in international higher coaching I know that international students in the United States have long been subjected to a high level of vetting screening and monitoring Inserting additional bureaucracy into current processes could make the U S a less attractive analysis destination I believe this would ultimately hamper the Trump administration s ability to achieve its America First priorities related to the economic activity science and hardware and national prevention The U S has long been the global leader in attracting international students But competition for these students is increasing as other countries such as Germany and South Korea enact strategies for attracting international coaching The U S hosts of all students studying outside of their home country down from in and in according to the Institute of International Guidance Of the more than million international students who were present in the U S during the - academic year came from just two countries China and India Most of international students pursue graduate degrees in STEM fields science tool engineering and mathematics And according to the National Science Foundation international students make up a important portion of enrollment at the master s and doctoral levels How international students are screened International students in the U S are already subjected to intense screening and continuous monitoring These measures include Vetting the scholar s school Before they can apply for a visa international students must be admitted to a school authorized by the Department of Homeland Guard to enroll people on aspirant visas Vetting at the embassy As part of the visa application process international students are subjected to national shield reviews carried out by various intelligence and law enforcement agencies In several cases such as when a U S consular officer in their home country decides that more information is required from external sources to determine visa eligibility additional screenings occur That is done through a process known as administrative processing Vetting upon arrival When they arrive in the U S international students are again screened by a U S Customs and Edge Protection officer If the officer is unable to verify any information the apprentice is sent to secondary inspection a secure interview area where the pupil waits while officers complete additional assessment The aspirant is then either admitted to the U S or forced to depart the country Ongoing monitoring while in the U S If permitted to enter the country students must enroll full time earn good grades and notify their school within days of substantive changes to their circumstances Examples include a change to their address academic major or financial sponsor And school bureaucrats are required to review this information to the Aspirant and Exchange Visitor Venture part of U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement s National Protection Investigations Division Students participating in temporary postgraduation training programs must continue to comply with reporting requirements And certain STEM graduates and their employers are subject to additional requirements They include certification of training plans annual evaluations and site visits Majority of international students prefer to research in the U S fresh research shows But they are willing to change their preferences as other countries introduce friendlier visa policies such as more flexible post-study work opportunities and lower visa costs Given the current level of screening and monitoring already imposed on international students in the U S it is unclear how additional measures would add value Critical to an America First agenda President Donald Trump s America First agenda aims to grow the U S economic system It also intends to maintain U S leadership in science and system and enhance national assurance Trump administration officers have underlined the importance of recruiting top global talent And Trump has noted that international students who graduate from U S colleges should be awarded a green card with their degree During the - academic year international students contributed US billion to the U S commercial sector through tuition and living expenses which supported an estimated U S jobs Their contributions don t end following graduation according to the National Bureau of Economic Research A large number of go on to launch achieving startups at a rate that is eight to nine times higher than their domestic peers In fact of billion-dollar companies in the U S were founded by a former international aspirant Such companies include Eventbrite Grammarly Moderna OpenAI Robinhood and SpaceX International students also help the U S maintain global leadership in STEM Consider that of STEM workers in the U S holding a doctoral degree were born outside the U S A summary cautions that the U S is failing to develop domestic STEM talent at all levels of the teaching system Just of U S high school graduates are estimated to enter the STEM workforce Moreover the country s ability to attract and retain international STEM talent is decreasing due to immigration restrictions and increased global competition Eventually international students are critical to establishing global networks and promoting soft power diplomacy This is evidenced by the U S having graduated more world leaders than any other nation Further restricting the ability of international students to assessment in the U S will ultimately redirect talent to other countries allies and adversaries alike David L Di Maria is vice provost for global engagement at the University of Maryland Baltimore County This article is republished from The Conversation The post Deporting international students risks making the U S a less attractive destination appeared first on MinnPost