Senators’ Letter Comes After Students Across Michigan Have Their Legal Visas Terminated
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Elissa Slotkin (MI) are calling for more information about recent visa terminations and apprehensions that have caused confusion at Michigan universities and threatened students’ ability to go to school and remain in the United States. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Peters and Slotkin requested details about the Trump Administration’s recent actions targeting students and urged their agencies to instead focus their efforts on public safety threats.
“We have heard concerns from constituents in Michigan about the impact of the Administration’s actions on students and our universities.” Peters and Slotkin wrote: “we call on you to immediately prioritize law enforcement actions that keep us safe, not those that threaten First Amendment protected activities, and to take steps to ensure student visas are not threatened or terminated due to students exercising their constitutional rights.”
“In addition to the chaos and confusion, the surveillance and arrests of students exercising their freedom of speech are creating fear amongst students at Michigan universities. Reports indicate that international students admitted this spring to colleges and universities are rethinking their choices due to the visa revocations and deportations,” the senators wrote. “We have serious concerns that the Administration’s policies towards international students will deprive the United States of global talent that fuels innovation.”
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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