Being an Effective Advocate on Campus for Immigration Reform

In the past few years, a great deal of attention has been given to the need for the U.S. immigration system to change in response to twenty-first century realities. Most international educators believe that the U.S. immigration system as currently written into law is broken. In many cases, legal immigrants wait years to obtain permanent residency based on either employment or on a family relationship. The United States invests heavily in the education of international students, yet these same students risk visa denial if they express hope to receive training opportunities or employment in their field in the United States after graduation. U.S. colleges or universities that want to hire foreign talent face a gauntlet of confusing and restrictive regulations. U.S. immigration law seems to be in contradiction to this country’s best interests much of the time. NAFSA and others (such as the National Immigration Forum, to give just one other example) have argued vigorously for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

International and higher education issues are an important part of immigration reform. Immigration laws affect the recruitment of qualified international students, scholars, and faculty. In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform on the federal level, some states have taken matters into their own hands with restrictive laws that negatively impact college and university campuses.

As an international educator at a U.S. college or university, you can become an effective advocate for immigration reform. As an advocate on your campus, you can reach out to others on your campus who might