Latest Updates
- IMMpact Litigation Files Class Action Suit. On May 2, 2025, IMMpact Litigation filed a class action case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. IMMpact Litigation is "a joint venture of the law firms Bless Litigation in Boston, Joseph & Hall in Denver, Kuck Baxter in Atlanta and Siskind Susser in Memphis." This action takes the form of a "second amended class action complaint" filed in the Jane Doe 1 et al v. Bondi et al, 1:25-cv-01998, (N.D. Ga.). More information, on NAFSA's page.
- Recent Executive Orders. On April 23, 2025 President Trump signed the following executive orders relevant to higher education:
- Executive Order 14279 of April 23, 2025: Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education. EO on whitehouse.gov | EO 14279 published at 90 FR 17529 (April 28, 2025). This Executive ORder directs the Department of Education to reform the higher education accreditation system by holding accrediting bodies accountable for focusing on academic quality and student outcomes rather than DEI initiatives, while prohibiting accreditation standards that could lead to unlawful discrimination as understood by the Trump-Vance administration. The order calls for increased competition among accreditors, streamlined processes for institutions to change accreditors, and mandates that institutions use program-level student outcome data for improvement, with potential consequences for accreditors of law and medical schools whose standards are deemed in violation of federal law.
- Executive Order 14282 of April 23, 2025: Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities. EO on whitehouse.gov | EO 14282 published at 90 FR 17541 (April 28, 2025). This Executive Order reinstates and tightens enforcement of higher education institutions' obligation to disclose foreign funding sources under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act. The Department of Education will require more specific reporting details, increase public access to this information, and coordinate with the Attorney General to audit institutions, with potential consequences including ineligibility for federal grant funding.
- Executive Order 14283 of April 23, 2025: White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. EO on whitehouse.gov | EO 14283 published at 90 FR 17543 (April 28, 2025). This Executive Order establishes a White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) housed in the Executive Office of the President and creates a President's Board of Advisors to enhance HBCU capabilities through private-sector partnerships, philanthropic support, and federal coordination. Higher education institutions classified as HBCUs can expect increased focus on institutional planning, infrastructure upgrades, professional development opportunities, and implementation of the HBCU PARTNERS Act, with an annual White House Summit to address related matters.
Key Executive and Regulatory Actions
Government Funding, Staffing, and Operations
The president's draft fiscal 2026 "skinny" budget proposes a 93 percent reduction in funding for State Department Educational and Cultural Exchanges, effectively dismantling the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and its programs. Urge Congress to defend and fund federal international education and exchange programs.
Antisemitism Related
An April 9 DHS news release says that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services "will consider social media content that indicates an alien endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity as a negative factor in any USCIS discretionary analysis when adjudicating immigration benefit requests. This guidance is effective immediately."
Vetting and Enforcement
As of May 7, there have been more than 1,600 reports of international students and scholars either having their visa revoked and/or their record in SEVIS terminated, thereby jeopardizing their legal status in the United States. On April 28, 2025, 35 senators joined U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) in demanding clarity and transparency. If your senator(s) signed the letter, please thank them.
NAFSA Statements and Commentary
NAFSA Responds to State Department Reorganization
"We were encouraged to see that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) was retained in the State Department reorganization, along with other offices that foster strategic U.S. engagement at the regional level. We remain concerned, however, about the future staffing and funding of the programs within them," said Fanta Aw, NAFSA executive director and CEO in a statement.
Congress Urged to Intervene on Behalf of International Students
NAFSA released initial findings from its collection of field reports on visa revocations and termination of SEVIS records and, with its partners in U.S. for Success Coalition, urged Congress to intervene as a matter of national interest.
NAFSA Seeks Clarity on International Student Actions
On April 4, NAFSA, the American Council on Education, and 14 other higher education associations pressed the Departments of State and Homeland Security for more clarity and communication regarding visa revocations, SEVIS record terminations, and the detention and removal of international students and scholars.
Related Resources
2025 Policy Digest
A chronological compilation of U.S. government policy and regulatory developments and related advocacy activities, updated on a monthly basis.
Connecting Our World
Connecting Our World is NAFSA's weekly newsletter that distills the top policy and regulatory developments affecting international education and identifies how members of the field can use their voice to take action in simple but meaningful ways.
Helpful Resources
Helpful resources from NAFSA and others on initiatives under the Second Trump Administration