Since President Donald Trump took office in January, college campuses throughout the country have considered the impacts of his executive orders concerning U.S. immigration policy, the increasing precarity of international students’ visa statuses and the spike in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has led to a near 22 percent dropoff in international student arrivals this year. Bowdoin has seen a minor decrease in international student attendance from the last academic year—from 35 first-year students (6.9 percent of the Class of 2028) in fall 2024 to 26 first years  (5.0 percent of the Class of 2029) this past fall.

Trump’s executive orders resulted in delays in scheduling visa interviews, expanded vetting and social media screening (particularly for perceived antisemitic sentiment) and a travel ban barring entry from 12 countries, as well as a restriction on immigration from seven other countries.

These executive orders were paired with a spike in ICE raids around the country, and local news has reported increased ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) activity in Portland and Lewiston. Over this past summer, the Maine Morning Star reported a 50 percent increase in ICE arrests, and in April, CBP arrests hit a 24-year high.

This report focuses on institutional perspectives from the College’s administrators and offices in reaction to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

F-1 visa issues and political speech

On May 27, the Department of State halted the scheduling of new visa interviews, and after three weeks, the department lifted the pause and implemented more stringent vetting procedures surrounding screening of anti-Zionist political speech.

The Orient has been unable to reach Dean for F-1 Visa Holders Danielle Hussey for comment.

Dean of Students Lisa Hardej, however, stated that while Hussey had provided advice on mitigating risk factors in international students’ political activity, the decisions students make about their public speech ultimately remains the choice of each individual.

“I hesitate to lump all international students into one group because there’s nuance to all of these situations,” Hardej said. “[Hussey] has worked with students to think about their decisions of involvement around different activities, around what they post on social media and just trying to help assess for themselves what their tolerance is around risk given the current climate.”

Hardej also stated that over the summer, the College shifted their visa application timeline in response to the federal pause.

“We recognized that the initial visa process was potentially taking longer, and so we moved our timeline up for working with incoming students to get their visas set and get their [Student and Exchange Visitor Information System] records in place to allow more runway in case they ran into any issues along the way,” Hardej said.

Senior Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Jim Hoppe also encouraged students worried about their visa status to connect with Hussey. He similarly emphasized that each student’s visa situation is different, so the strategy the deans will take to help them is highly individualized and context dependent.

“[Hussey has] had a series of different types of ways to interact: individual appointments, open office hours for groups [and] inviting different legal immigration experts to campus so that students can ask some questions directly,” Hoppe said. “She really tries to focus on understanding each student’s specific context and then helping them figure out the best set of answers.”

In terms of legal issues, Hoppe further emphasized the importance of an individual’s context in determining next steps.

“One of the challenges with any kind of legal advice is that most colleges try not to say, ‘Here’s exactly where you should go,’” Hoppe said. “Our approach is more to make sure people understand their options and access, and then they can make the decisions that feel best for them, based on that range of options or choices.”

Senior Vice President and General Counsel Katrina Chapman also recommended that international students reach out to Hussey for legal concerns, as well as seek out online resources like the Maine Office of the Attorney General and the Immigration Legal Advocacy Project, each of which provide legal guidance and support for those seeking representation. Chapman noted, however, that should a student face court fees, these costs will not be covered by financial aid.

“Financial aid is intended to cover the cost of attendance at a college. It is not intended to include court fees.… At Bowdoin, students facing financial hardship also have the option of contacting their dean to discuss the availability of supplemental or emergency funding. Determinations about the availability of this funding are made based on the individual circumstances,” Chapman wrote in an email to the Orient.

ICE and CBP activity

In this semester and last, there have been no confirmed reports of ICE or CBP activity on campus. Since March, the Maine Morning Star has reported 22 minor traffic stops in which more than 50 Maine residents and workers have been handed over to immigration officials across the state.

Chapman stated that ICE or CBP vehicle or officer sightings are not unusual around Brunswick due to Maine’s proximity to the ocean border. However, she noted that if an officer is attempting to get into a locked building or approaching people on campus, students should call the Office of Safety and Security.

“ICE has had a presence in Maine for a long time, including an office in Portland.… [Bowdoin] Security officers are trained to respond to law enforcement inquiries and will involve the appropriate College officials who are authorized to review warrants, subpoenas or other legal documents,” Chapman wrote.

Associate Vice President of the Office of Safety and Security Bill Harwood stated that while there have been no Security interactions with CBP or ICE agents in the past year, many students have expressed concern about traveling since Trump’s election.

Harwood advised students to be aware of their rights.

“If you’re a student stopped in a car, we would always advise people to be calm [and] be respectful.… There’s information on Bowdoin’s website for advice about students’ rights [and] everyone’s rights in this country. It would be a good idea if someone’s concerned about that to probably go on that website and read through the rights so that they know what those are,” Harwood said.

Hardej advised international students to carry their documentation with them, especially when traveling off campus.

Because many international students may need to remain on campus during school breaks for their safety, Hoppe stated that there are processes available for these students.

“Our commitment is to try to stay on top of what the needs are and pay attention and see what we can do to be supportive and helpful in that moment.…The process we’ve always had in place in terms of working with students who need to stay for a break [is] helping them work through individualized circumstances that they have,” Hoppe said.

Outside of the College, the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition and People’s Coalition for Safety and Justice has set up a statewide ICE watch hotline run by volunteers. The hotline is available from 6 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Life outside of Bowdoin for international students

In terms of study abroad, Director of Off-Campus Study (OCS) and International Programs Christine Wintersteen stated the OCS office has pivoted the pre-departure timeline to give international students a backup plan.

“[For] the last two semesters, our office has reached out to non-U.S. citizens slated to study off campus about the option for them to enroll in on-campus courses while simultaneously planning for study away,” Wintersteen wrote in an email to the Orient. “This allows that cohort of students more time in thinking through the logistics of off-campus study which may or may not prove to carry more risk dependent on each individual student situation.”

For international seniors who want to stay in the United States after graduation, the future remains in flux. Some pathways, like the H1-B visa, a program for certain occupations that hire nonimmigrant international workers with a bachelor’s degree, have been heavily restricted by the Trump administration. On September 19, Trump signed a proclamation requiring any new applicants’ employers to pay a visa fee of $100,000, a significant increase from the previous fee of $2,000 to $5,000.

Executive Director of Career Exploration and Development (CXD) Kristin Brennan stressed that because many of the practicalities of the fee are still uncertain, CXD is attempting to help students with elements within their control.

“Many of our advising conversations with international students right now are about a multinational search: What are some places you would like to work and can work, and how can we support you in making connections and creating options in multiple locations? A number of students are coming in already focused on multiple geographic regions. Also, we can focus on how to best utilize practical training—[Curricular Practical Training] and [Optional Practical Training—during school and after graduation,” Brennan wrote in an email to the Orient.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a period of temporary employment available to international students before or after graduation. On August 28, the Department of Homeland Security proposed a rule creating a fixed four-year period for F-1 visa holders that includes any time in OPT or STEM OPT, which would require international students to use their OPT in college and not after graduation. Under the proposed rule, F-1 students will have to file for an extension of their F-1 status to be eligible for OPT. As of now, the rule remains unconfirmed, but Hardej noted that administrators are monitoring the OPT process for any changes.

“We’ve been keeping eyes on any changes that might be coming down the road, but I wouldn’t be able to comment on any specific circumstances that we encountered,” Hardej said.

Brennan stated that CXD has also spent the summer preparing resources from the alumni network and spotlighting international jobs. CXD is currently creating a more accessible network of jobs with Bowdoin connections for international students.

“We also ask every employer we work closely with to be as clear as possible about acceptance of CPT, OPT and visa sponsorship—though when things are in flux, they sometimes are working through these questions [in] real time,” Brennan wrote.

Hoppe highlighted that because the landscape for international students is constantly shifting, the College’s strategies are also changing accordingly.

“I think it’s fair to say that we’re going to continue to be trying to look ahead … and making adjustments as we can,” Hoppe said.