On April 16, Dartmouth’s Office of Visa and Immigration Services hosted an information session on changing immigration regulations for international and exchange students.
OVIS director Susan Ellison said that the revocations of student visas — like those that have swept the country — have never occurred before in the history of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System records.
“What has been happening over the last few weeks is that records are being terminated, but not by the school,” Ellison said. “They’re being terminated by the government unilaterally… this has not happened in the history of SEVIS.”
This comes after two Dartmouth students had their visas revoked last week. During the talk, immigration lawyer Dan Berger reminded international students to carry their identification around campus.
“By law, all non-US citizens should be carrying their documents — something that shows your immigration status and something that shows who you are,” Berger said. “It’s very unlikely that any of you will interact with an immigration officer, but if you do, you don't want there to be any delay in showing who you are and what your status is.”
Throughout the talk, Ellison and Berger discussed risks associated with being an international student, fear associated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests around the country, travel bans and the importance of staying informed.
“Immigration law has always been a dynamic and changing area of law, but I think more than ever that’s happening now,” Ellison said. “The purpose of this session is to provide you with information about the current immigration landscape.”
Approximately 5,000 students have been affected by the revocations, according to Berger. Lawsuits have also been filed nationwide, which argue that the revocations are violations of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act.
The panel also acknowledged the recent ICE detainments and arrests on college campuses. According to Ellison, the “Sensitive Locations Policy,” which prevents ICE from engaging in immigration enforcement actions in sensitive locations, has been rescinded by the Trump administration. However, there have been very few ICE operations in sensitive locations and Ellison recommended reading Dartmouth’s posted policy for ICE visits to campus.
Ellison also warned international students about increased vetting at U.S. consulates abroad and points of entry, such as Customs and Border Protection having the authorization to look through electronic devices.
“You don’t have the right to counsel when you’re coming into the US and you’re at a port of entry, so [CBP] do have the discretion to put someone on a plane and send them back,” Ellison said. “If someone applied for a visa and provided certain documentation in support of that application … and whatever they have on their electronic device looks different, CBP might question that.”
The conversation concluded with reminders of support and the importance of information during these times of uncertainty.
“This is a difficult moment and we can’t tell you exactly what’s going on, but I do want to repeat that we are watching trends,” Berger said. “We can’t necessarily improve the situation, but we can make sure that you have as much information as possible so you can make decisions in your life.”
Hugh Shields GR said he chose to come to the talk because he has a lot of international friends and wanted to learn how to best support them.
“I think this is a relevant issue to everyone in the academic community,” Shields said. “I think that the Trump administration’s use of arbitrary rules to prevent people from either coming or evoking their status in the country is certainly concerning, but it’s good to have this information to stay up to date.”
A member of the Class of 2028 who requested to remain anonymous due to her status as an international student said it was helpful to see this level of transparency and information from OVIS.
“I’m glad to see that Dartmouth is being involved in this, because for the past few weeks, there’s been nothing from OVIS,” she said. “It’s nice to know that there’s an immigration officer and a lawyer who has our back in some capacity. I do believe in Dartmouth to keep us safe.”
Correction Appended (April 21, 11:38 p.m.): A past version of this article said that more than 5,000 students have been affected by visa revocations, but a more accurate characterization is approximately 5,000 students. The article has been changed.
