Indian students wary of protest fallout on visas, aid, legal status
Indian students wary of protest fallout on visas, aid, legal status
The 29-year-old Master’s student at Columbia University relocated from India to the US two years ago. A Delhi University (DU) graduate, she’s no stranger to the buzz of campus protests and the heavy-handed response of authorities at institutions like Jamia Millia Islamia and Jawaharlal Nehru University. But at Columbia, she’s torn between diving headfirst into the “pro-Palestine” movement on campus and the weight of what’s “at stake.”
Hers is an illustrative example of a wave of anxiety and uncertainty sweeping across the Indian student community in the US, the second-largest international student group there after the Chinese. As they watch their peers on campus grappling with disciplinary action, suspension, and arrests, they shoulder an additional burden — the threat of visa revocation, expulsion, even deportation.
The Sunday Express interviewed several Indian students on F-1 visas. No one wanted their name to be used in this report, an indication of their apprehensions. Their refrain: whatever their politics, joining the protest, on any side, opens them to consequences they are mindful of, especially given their financial dependence on loans or aid from the university.
Some have opted for an arm’s-length involvement: pitching in with fundraising, placards, spreading the word on campus but steering clear of the front lines (read encampments), where the chances of “getting into trouble” and facing off with the police are higher.
“I am navigating very complex emotions…I have to be extremely careful about my position as an Indian student on a student visa… my parents keep telling me to stay out of it,” said the Master’s student at Columbia. Caution is the byword since she aims to pursue a research degree at the same university. As of now, she said, she has only lent her support to the demand for the university to divest from Israeli companies.
“It’s not just about the visa being revoked or being suspended. It’s about the long-term consequences. It’s harder for an international student to come out of such a situation. If I am suspended tomorrow, it will be even harder for me, given my identity and the historical exclusion in this predominantly white country,” the student said, adding that she can only afford her education due to financial aid provided by the university.
Her concerns are echoed by a PhD candidate from Delhi at Yale University, where students have been protesting in front of the library for over two weeks now. “The university funds my tuition and my visa might be revoked — this was the first thing that crossed my mind.”
These fears are not entirely misplaced.
According to a professor at Princeton University, where a dozen people were recently arrested for the protests, expulsion would indeed have an impact on the F-1 visa of any international student.
Several FAQs on different university websites flag this. While university administrations declined to comment, according to an FAQ on Carnegie Mellon University’s website, “When a student is suspended or dismissed, the student who is in F1 or J1 status cannot legally remain in the US.”
US universities are expected to update an international student’s status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) within 21 days of suspension or expulsion. Hence, the government is immediately notified of the change in status.
According to Viral Doshi, a US college admissions consultant, both suspension and expulsion are reflected in a student’s record. “Typically, in both cases, the student gets an opportunity to file an appeal to the university and then the university can review and reconsider based on the severity of the actions of the student. The appeal might work or not work in some cases,” he said, advising Indian students to not “cross the fine line.”
“Let’s remember, when you go to a foreign country, you are a guest of that country and as a guest, you must not cross the boundary beyond a certain level that has been assigned to you. You can’t think like a US citizen, the laws valid for them are not necessarily valid for you,” he added.
However, even as they are mindful of the risks, some have managed to become more active participants in the protests with the help of their American peers.
For instance, a 22-year-old American Indian student pursuing her Bachelor’s at Northeastern University, who is among the protest organizers on campus, told The Indian Express that organizers warn international students of raids or police entering the campus in advance so they can leave the encampment site.
“When we received raid warnings and our faculty alerted us about police entering the campus, we, as organizers, ensured that the ‘high-risk students’ were sent away from the site,” she said.”
Said a 30-year-old PhD student at University of Pennsylvania, who hails from Aligarh: “I have been going to the encampment site since Day 1…On days when organisers anticipate an escalation, they advise international students to stay away from the line of barricading.”
A graduate of St. Stephen’s College who is now at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, added, “Although the atmosphere here is not as hostile as it is in New York, we are keeping phone numbers of legal support handy and are careful while participating in protests.”
For Indian faculty, too, it is a challenge to navigate the “difference of thought” in classrooms and the risk to their jobs.
“It is challenging to maintain peace in the classroom between students who resonate with both sides of the issue… It is difficult for international teachers on contracts as we might not get permanent employment and risk termination,” said a 34-year-old Indian lecturer at Columbia’s Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies.
“My contribution to the protest has mostly been in the background — helping students at encampments with food supplies, contacting lawyers for students being arrested, and even providing a few with a place to stay…While Columbia has not specifically issued any guidelines for protesting students, departments have floated a pass/fail option for this semester. Students who would like to take their examinations later and wish to be graded can choose either option,” the lecturer added.
For the latest news from across India, Political updates, Explainers, Sports News, Opinion, Entertainment Updates and more Top News, visit Indian Express. Subscribe to our award-winning Newsletter Download our App here Android & iOS