Is the South Asian ‘American Dream’ Dead?
For the largest international student body in the U.S., hopes for building a better life are unraveling.
When Roshan* celebrated his birthday in January, he’d just secured a teaching assistant position at his university. “It was a happy start to the year,” he told The Juggernaut. (His name has been anonymized due to fear of repercussions.) But things quickly deteriorated. At a house party, he said a drunk guest assaulted his brother. After he and his brother threw the guest out, the police arrested them and charged them with assault.
Although an investigation later cleared Roshan* of any wrongdoing, he received an email that his SEVIS record had been terminated and he had to leave the U.S. immediately. The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) registers international student visas at U.S. universities; the termination of a record means the loss of a student’s legal status. “It’s unfair,” Roshan* said. “Why do I need to leave the U.S.? There was no grace time.”
Roshan* is one of countless South Asian students and educators who are feeling heightened uncertainty under the Trump administration. The Juggernaut spoke with 13 students, educators, and experts to understand how visa revocations, research funding cuts, suspension of refugee protections, travel bans, and other factors have affected the largest international community in American higher education.