Foreign Student Enrollment is Down
THE STORY: The number of new foreign students enrolling in U.S. universities is down for the second year in a row.
THE CONTEXT: The number of new foreign students enrolling in U.S. colleges went down by nearly 7% in 2017, compared to 2016. While some college leaders blame an unwelcoming political environment fostered by President Trump, other education experts say the decrease has more to do with increased competition from foreign universities. Top Trump aide Stephen Miller tried to get Trump to end student visas for Chinese citizens earlier this year, but Trump ultimately decided against it.
WHAT’S NEXT: International students are a huge boon to the U.S. economy and a decrease in enrollment could have detrimental economic effects in the coming years. During the 2017-2018 school year, international students at U.S. colleges contributed $39 billion to the American economy.
Read further in this piece from Politico.
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Asylum Ban Challenge
THE STORY: Trump’s asylum ban has been challenged in federal court.
THE CONTEXT: Last week, the Trump administration said it would deny immigrants asylum if they came into the country illegally. The move comes as the Trump administration has drummed up fears about migrant caravans heading to the U.S. from Central America. The ACLU and other groups have sued to stop the regulations.
WHAT’S NEXT: The federal lawsuit against the asylum ban could result in an injunction that would temporarily halt the ban.
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Changes to Work Visas
THE STORY: Major changes to work visas like the H-1B could be counterproductive to the U.S. in the long term.
THE CONTEXT: The Trump administration has recently announced changes to work visas that would give greater preference to applicants with high income occupations. The move could have long term impacts such as pushing companies to relocate outside of the U.S. The Trump administration’s rule change would also be a leg up for big tech companies like Alphabet and Facebook, which rely on work visas like the H-1B and offer high-paying positions.
WHAT’S NEXT: The rule has not been put into effect yet and can be viewed here.
Read further in this Forbes piece.
