Student work permits at UC Merced were reinstated. Students are reconsidering after the shock

MERCED, Calif. — After a chaotic few weeks with the revocations of visas and work permits of hundreds of students across the country, most international students at the University of California Merced whose permits were terminated have now been reactivated.

But international students at the university say they’re feeling widespread panic about continuing their education in the U.S., and the campus’ domestic students want more protections for those most vulnerable.

Starting the first week of April, more than 80 students attending California’s public universities and community colleges had their visas terminated or records revoked. Most reports show the federal government terminated their statuses without explanation.

On April 25, President Donald Trump’s administration then walked back the decision and said the government would restore all student visas and records. The administration said the move was to craft “a framework for status record termination.”

Four of those international students were studying at UC Merced. Campus spokesperson Alyssa Johansen told KVPR in a written statement that three of those four had their work permits reactivated.

University staff provided support and legal services following the revocations, and, since the change, has worked with the students to continue their education or work, Johansen said.

“The Office of International Affairs subsequently reached out to the affected students individually, shared possible options (including connecting them with an immigration attorney), and worked with relevant departments on concerns related to the students’ academic and/or employment matters,” Johansen wrote. “[The office] has been assisting them with the actions necessary for a return to their programs.”

But some international students say they still feel anxious about staying in the country.

Future terminations of student visas or work permits could prove especially critical for UC Merced – where almost half of the university’s graduate students are international, the largest percentage of international graduate students of any UC campus.

UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz sent an email to students less than a week after the news broke in early April, informing them that the four students whose statuses were revoked were international graduate students. At the time, two were still enrolled and attending the university, while the other two recently graduated but still were legally permitted to work in the country.

Although UC Merced’s spokesperson did not confirm the students’ whereabouts now, a different international student told KVPR those students returned to their home countries immediately following their notice.

KVPR spoke with two international students from Latin America who asked to keep their identities anonymous for fear of risking their own legal statuses.

Both students said they’re relieved their friends can return to America, but they also said the international community on campus is experiencing a rising level of fear and anxiety.

One student said the week after the terminations became known in Merced, he felt stressed, angry, and paranoid for his safety.

“It was the first case. It became real in Merced,” he said. “I spoke with several international students here as well, and the whole weekend we were so paranoid. We wouldn't want to go out in the night. We wouldn't want to drive.”

International students on campus immediately started formulating plans for the future, he said. For instance, many met with the Office of International Affairs, where they were advised to resolve any outstanding violations with the law. He also said many who had been considering leaving the country for the summer cancelled their plans.

This student also said that if the fate of international students isn’t clear by the end of the calendar year, he’ll travel back to his home country and may not finish his education at UC Merced.

“If things haven't improved in December, I'm going back …. you don't migrate to live like this with fear,” he said. “If that's the case, I'd rather go back to my country where I feel appreciated, even if I don't have the same opportunity.”

The other international student who spoke to KVPR said he’s packed and ready in case his visa is ever terminated.

“If I ever receive a letter, I'm just ready,” he said. “I'm just going to have my backpack and OK, I leave.”

He is glad the Trump administration recognized its “mistake,” but he also thinks the whole situation is a premonition of what could happen in the future to international students throughout the U.S.

“It's a reminder of something maybe we already knew as international students — that our situation is very precarious,” he said. “That's something I already knew before coming. They can revoke our status without notification.”

Many tactics used by the Trump administration to revoke these records were unheard of, according to Jessica Smith Bobadilla, an immigration lawyer and former immigration law professor in the Central Valley.

For instance, revoking visas or work permits in the middle of the semester is “unprecedented,” she said.

Also, Smith Bobadilla said most cases she’s aware of involved records being revoked for infractions such as DUIs or parking tickets. That’s not a typical reason for a revocation, she said.

Traditionally, the reasons that students would have their status terminated is if they worked illegally, which Smith Bobadilla said is very tightly restricted.

“[Employment] generally has to be work study. It generally has to be through the institution and pre-approved,” Smith Bobadilla said.

She also said a student can have their records terminated if they stop going to school.

These students also weren’t given court hearings before immigration judges to make their cases or evaluate other options. Because of this, several students across the country filed lawsuits, and Smith Bobadilla thinks that’s why the Trump administration is backtracking.

“No court date was given, and it was more like, ‘Just pack your bags and leave. You're no longer a student in this country,’” she said. “And that does, I think, violate due process.”

Still, she said, the move to revoke these students’ statuses wasn’t actually illegal. International students are subject to orders by the U.S. executive branch, and it can happen at any time, for any reason.

Smith Bobadilla said international students at UC Merced and beyond should schedule a consultation with an immigration lawyer. And they should have a back-up plan, such as moving to another country for their education, just in case the worse-case scenario happens.

The terminations created a ripple effect throughout the UC Merced population because of its small size and unique demographic, compared to other UC campuses. According to UC Merced enrollment data, only about 9,000 students are enrolled. Many of them are the first in their families to attend college, come from a lower socioeconomic background, are not native to the Valley, and are or know someone who is undocumented or foreign born.

Because of those factors, UC Merced’s student body president, Miguel Craven, said he believes the Trump administration’s drastic immigration actions have affected UC Merced students more than students enrolled at a larger university.

“I've had even calls with my own family of fear of something happening, and it's difficult,” Craven, 21, said.

International students make up about 4% of the UC Merced population, but about 40% of graduate students, who often carry out important research and serve as points of contact for undergraduates.

Holly Yu, who’s in her third year at UC Merced, told KVPR that besides helping with her school work, international students broaden her worldview.

“That's a significant part of college,” Yu, 20, said. “Going to another city or a different location and then being exposed to more things in order to grow into adulthood. It's a significant part of people's… personal development.”

When she heard about the news, she was “pissed off.” She has friends who are international students, and she doesn’t want them to feel like they don’t belong in the country.

Yu has been part of an organized group of students who are lobbying the Merced City Council to pass a resolution that would establish the city as a “Welcoming City.” She said the resolution would support people from marginalized groups, including undocumented, LGBTQ and international community members and students.

“There could be a lot of benefit to that by creating more community and having people stay [in Merced] and build connections,” Yu said. “Community building with making people feel safe and protected.”

Smith Bobadilla thinks international students greatly benefit the whole region.

“[Visa and work permit terminations are] going to be very detrimental to the United States,” she said. “Many specialists, medical specialists, and doctors that I think we've all encountered were foreign students and then transitioned into a more permanent status. And in some areas of the country, including the area that I come from, which is Central California, the Central Valley, there's a lack of specialists in certain areas.”

One of the international students who wished to remain anonymous said he understands the opportunities he’s gained from the U.S. aren’t free.

“We actively work here, we do research here, we pay taxes here, we consume, we spend our money here,” he said. “This is a good opportunity, and I'm taking advantage of it. But I earned it, and I'm working for it, as all my colleagues here at UC Merced are.”

In late April, Craven, the student body president, attended a meeting with student body presidents from other UC campuses and the office of the UC President. Student terminations were their main talking point, and UC administrators said they are finding ways to help international students continue their education, he said.

Meanwhile, Craven said even students not directly affected are planning to defend international and undocumented students.

“A lot of us recognize our privilege of being citizens who are born in the U.S., but we're willing to also put ourselves in front of our undocumented or international community and protect them in the case that something happens,” Craven said. “Everybody has that sense of unity on our campus, that if there is something coming our way, we will be here to protect one another.”

The other international student who wished to stay anonymous said that if nothing else, these revocations prompted students to fight for what they want.

“It's a good reminder that we should defend people, even people that may be different to us or in a [weaker] place,” he said. “It's important to defend them because it matters to all.”