Milan Dosanjh
Staff Writer
Following President Trump’s first day in office on Jan. 20, a plethora of executive orders, policies, and projects have been signed into act. These are crucial to understand as an American citizen as they directly shape how we interact with our means in consideration to the changes of laws. However, this magnifies the attention towards college students, whose trajectory into our careers are heavily influenced by the changes made to our government.
This article will focus on the Trump Administration’s acts on the defunding of the Department of Education, the eradication of student visas, and the evergrowing challenges undocumented students face with constant moderations on border policies.
On March 20, President Trump pushed for an executive order aimed at reducing the federal role in education, commanding significant cuts to the Department of Education. This includes cutting back on funding for Pell Grants, including federal student loans, and Title I funding for low-income schools across the country.
This executive order acts as the precursor to the process of dismantling the Department of Education’s purpose by aiming to shift more control of education towards the states, which in return affects the types of education students are interacting with country-wide and what kinds of financial aid programs they have access to.
For college students, most notably at public universities like UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), this raises major socioeconomic concerns. Many UC students rely on Pell Grants and federal loans, with more than 82,000 students qualifying for needing Pell Grants. With these orders, access to higher education could become even more selective and difficult due to a potential lack of support from the Department of Education.
The discussion of this subject must address undocumented students and how they will be affected at UCSB. Across the nation, the Trump administration continues to issue new impactful executive orders with goals to reform international student visas and strengthen border control. During the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency, “Immigration, Refugees, Border” ranked among the most frequent categories addressed in Executive Orders and Memoranda.
Among these executive orders was “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which was presented by President Trump on Jan. 20. Its goal was to reshape birthright citizenship, a 14th Amendment right.
As a result, undocumented and international students are now facing growing uncertainty about whether their access to education is protected. With student visa programs under heightened scrutiny and new limits placed on renewals and eligibility, a growing total of over 1,000 international student visas have been revoked across the U.S..
Meanwhile, Trump’s push for Immigration and Customs Enforcement have made the experiences of many undocumented students tumultuous, instilling feelings of fear and instability as border policies become even more strict.
With President Trump’s executive orders posing significant challenges, they demand increased attention and a strong sense of community.
These developments call for protection of the student body. At UCSB, resources like the Undocumented Student Services provide vital outreach and support for students navigating uncertain times. With the current climate, it is vital to stay informed and united to ensure that no student is underrepresented.
