Protecting international students of CA so as not to be afraid of ice

By Nuo Chen, special for Calmatters

This comment was originally published by CalmattersS Register about their ballots.

Six years ago, I arrived in the United States as an international student eager to continue my education. Now, as a community defender and training of social workers in California, I have realized that safety is not only a fundamental right, but a need for well -being.

The safe environment allows people to thrive, but for many international students like me, safety is fragile. The institutions themselves meant to protect us, often not reaching.

In February Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University, was arrested by Immigration and customs agents for implementation after his participation in propalist protests. Although he owns a green card and has no criminal charges, agents say the State Department has also canceled this.

If the permanent resident at the Higher University can easily cancel their status, visa students face even greater risks. The university failed to have clear protocols for protection, and international students were left isolated without adequate assistance.

California has consistently ranked No. 1 in the international enrollment of students, taking advantage of cultural and economic terms from their presence. Yet the latest changes to federal policy and the escalation of ice activities exacerbate students’ vulnerabilities.

In responding institutions such as the University of San Francisco, they promised to protect information about students from federal immigration authorities, sharing data only at a court order. The California State University System also tried to clarify its position and launched frequently asked questions on seven pages, outlining its political answers in the event of raids, detained or deportation threats.

However, these measures fail to reach adequately or reassure students that they are intended to protect. Many students are not aware of their rights or the extent to which their universities can protect them.

Social media, not university communication, have become a major source of information on ice raids. Professors are also often uninformed how to react if the ice enters their classrooms.

Without a unified institutional communication strategy, the misinformation is distributed without inspection. Latin first -generation students at Cal Poly Pomona describewalking on egg shells“Due to the uncertainty about potential implementation actions.

Meanwhile, universities claim that Protect Student Privacy and Limit Cooperation With ice, but their ability to interfere during actual application action is limited. Policies can be shifted to various federal administrations and at the state level there is no official emergency program to help students face deportation or legal threats.

As a mental health specialist in training, I know that these safety problems extend far beyond the legal risks, they destroy mental well-being and limit the success of students.

The prolonged threat of deportation takes a deep psychological fee for international students, causing chronic stress, sleep disorders and anxiety disorders. The constant fear of targeting can push students into social isolation, alienation and difficulty in concentration. Life in an unfamiliar environment in a dangerous atmosphere stifles our personal growth and well -being.

Institutions must go beyond unclear statements and take specific steps to protect international students.

They must provide culturally responsive Mental health resources that adapt them to international and undocumented students. This means hiring multilingual advisers trained to understand the unique challenges of these students.

The faculty should be widely trained for university policies, legal rights and support mechanisms, so they can act as informed allies in times of uncertainty.

And colleges must make sure that their communication with students is proactive, accurate and in real time to prevent rumors and unnecessary panic, so that students can make informed decisions about their safety.

Universities should follow strong cooperation with consulates in order to serve as critical safety networks for outside campus at times of crisis.

If California really appreciates the presence and contribution of international students, it must ensure that safety and opportunities go hand in hand. The state’s commitment to diversity and inclusion must extend beyond rhetoric in action.

The pursuit of education should not be determined by fear and insecurity.

This article was Originally Published on CalMatters and was reissued under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Noderivatives License.