NAFSA released its policy priorities and published a new web page that will serve as a go-to resource for all things related to the Trump administration. The page provides updates on presidential nominations, executive actions, and agency initiatives—and includes expert analysis, information on NAFSA's policy recommendations, and advocacy tools to support the field.
On January 20, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum, “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review”
On January 20, 2025 DHS rescinded a 2021 guidance memo that had required DHS officers and agents to seek headquarters approval before taking an enforcement action in sensitive areas like schools and colleges, hospitals or churches.
On January 20, President Trump issued Executive Order 14169, “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid” mandating a 90-day pause on new foreign development assistance obligations and disbursements of funds.
On January 20, President Trump issued Executive Order 14160, “Protecting The Meaning And Value Of American Citizenship” to alter birthright citizenship.
On January 20, President Trump issued Executive Order 14165, “Securing Our Borders” directing a comprehensive effort to secure the U.S. southern border.
On January 20, President Trump issued Executive Order 14161, “Protecting The United States From Foreign Terrorists And Other National Security And Public Safety Threats” directing federal agencies to enhance immigration screening and vetting procedures.
On January 20, President Trump issued Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government”.
On January 22, NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Fanta Aw and NAFSA Board of Directors President Ahmad Ezzeddine hosted a LinkedIn Live conversation "Charting the Course for a New Political Environment”. During the event, Aw and Ezzeddine emphasized managing uncertainty through thoughtful planning and staying informed via NAFSA's new online hub that tracks developments related to the current administration. NAFSA policy experts Jill Allen Murray and Rachel Banks also outlined and provided initial reactions to recent executive orders.
On January 23, 2025, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman signed a "Finding of Mass Influx of Aliens,"which activates enhanced federal authority and resources and presses for state and local cooperation.
On January 27, the White House Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum that ordered federal agencies to temporarily pause disbursement of grants and loans while conducting a review to ensure programs align with the Trump administration's policies. The administration rescinded the memorandum on January 29, in the face of legal challenges and mounting criticism over funding disruptions.
In a January 28 blog post, NAFSA staff members Joann Ng Hartmann and Jill Allen Murray responded to an opinion piece in Inside Higher Ed that raised concerns about alleged misuse of the U.S. student visa system. Their response provided a fact-based analysis of student visa overstay statistics, detailed existing safeguards in the U.S. international student system, and addressed specific claims about Curricular Practical Training and student transfers, while highlighting NAFSA's ongoing work to strengthen visa system integrity.
On January 29, President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law.
On January 29, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14188 titled Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism.
February 2025
On February 3, NAFSA joined the American Council on Education and 29 other higher education associations in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, congratulating him on his recent confirmation and addressing key priorities for higher education. The organizations emphasized concerns about visa processing delays and denials that could discourage international students from choosing U.S. institutions and reiterated U.S. higher education's commitment to collaborating on national security concerns while protecting beneficial global academic exchange.
On February 7, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) imposed a 15% cap on the "indirect cost" rate for all NIH grants.
On February 11, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order titled Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Workforce Optimization Initiative.
On February 12, President Trump issued Executive Order 14211 “One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations” which contains sweeping reforms to the U.S. foreign service, meant to align U.S. foreign relations with the administration’s “America First Policy Directive and drastically reduce its workforce.”
On February 13, NAFSA staff members David Fosnocht and Steve Springer hosted a webinar discussing student and scholar advising and the new presidential administration. Topics included the tools a presidential administration can use to effect change, actions and initiatives from the prior Trump administration that may be revived, and steps international educators can take to avoid problems.
On February 14, 2025, the Department of Education (DoEd) issued a "Dear Colleague Letter" that "provides notice of the Department's existing interpretation of federal law" on the prohibition on "using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life."
In a February 18, 2025 Interview Waiver Update the Department of State announced changes to its policies on eligibility for waivers of the in-person visa interview requirement. The update rescinds prior expansions of interview waiver authority, for example, reinstating the statutory 12-month post-expiration period for applicants who previously held a visa in the same category.
On February 19, 2025, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) asserted the agency’s commitment to protecting American workers from national origin discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and warned employers, staffing agencies, and other entities against engaging in illegal hiring preferences that disadvantage American workers, stating that those contributing to the immigration crisis or abusing legal immigration programs must comply with the law.
