Harvard’s international students are facing significant distress, with some considering transferring to other schools and others fearing to attend graduation or be separated from their families in the U.S., according to Maureen Martin, Harvard’s director of immigration services, as per a court filing on Wednesday.
Martin highlighted the numerous repercussions of the Trump administration’s policy, which aims to prevent Harvard from admitting foreign students, and instructs current students to either transfer or leave the country.
Despite a judge putting a temporary pause on the measure, the students are apparently trying to figure out how they can get out of Dodge.
“A number of international students and scholars are experiencing considerable emotional turmoil, impacting their mental well-being and making it challenging to concentrate on their studies. Some are even apprehensive about attending their graduation ceremonies this week due to concerns over potential immigration-related actions against them,” Martin stated.
Some students have canceled plans to visit family as reports come in that those with Harvard visas are undergoing extra screening at airports on the way back to the U.S., including a former head of state who is currently a fellow at the university, and are afraid to be separated from family in the U.S.
Martin knows of at least 10 international students who had their visa applications denied following the government’s revocation notice.
“Too many international students to count have inquired about the possibility of transferring to another institution,” she said, while others have revoked or deferred their acceptance.
However, students who want to transfer could have a difficult time as many of the deadlines have passed for undergraduate transfers, and those in graduate and Ph.D. programs are often specialized and not easy to switch.
But other countries, including adversarial ones such as China, are trying to recruit anyway, according to Martin, with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology offering to streamline transfers from Harvard.
The judge in the case is holding an emergency hearing on Thursday to determine if an extended pause of the administration’s directive is warranted.
