Deportation uncertainty affecting Pittsburg State students

By A.J. Kohler

Some Pittsburg State University students say they are scared by U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to deport undocumented immigrants and even remove visas from people who have participated in political actions that oppose his agenda. 

Since Trump took office in January, his administration has issued executive orders that would remove visas from international students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests. 

“To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you,” Trump said in a statement on the White House’s website. 

PSU automotive major and Palestinian student Mohammad Hanon said any such moves against international students would be clear violations of the First Amendment.

“As long as they are in the United States and are here to study or they are here to do whatever they want, I feel like the moment you enter this country you should have the right to say whatever you want.”

International students are also threatened by the Trump administration’s plans for stricter enforcement of F-1 visas, which allow people to work for up to 20 hours a week. 

PSU director of media relations Andra Stefanoni stressed such changes shouldn’t affect Pitt State’s International Students.

“The federal executive orders will not impact international students because they are here legally on student visas,” she said.

Pittsburg State has also issued a statement stating that “International Students are here on student visas issued by the Federal Government”. However, another part of this same statement has stated that there are undocumented students on campus.

“It’s legal for them to attend universities, and they are not required to disclose their immigration status to us when they apply and enroll”, Campus Officials said. 

Despite such assurances from the university, students such as Hanon say international students remain worried. Some concerns stem from statements from student groups such as the Pitt State College Republicans, who in a late January post on X said it stands “ready to assist ICE with deportations of illegals” at Pitt State.

Hanon said those who feel targeted by the Trump administration are afraid to speak out because of possible repercussions while the university allows others, such as Campus Republicans, to publicly intimidate students.

“To the few people who I have discussed this with, they are scared, because obviously the best thing to do is freedom of speech and to speak for your rights, but some people feel like they’ve been censored,” Hanon said. 

Associate Vice Dean of Students John Bartlow told The Collegio last month that the Campus Republican’s posts “didn’t, in our eyes, cross that line of inciting violence. It’s a tough situation and it clearly made some of our students feel uncomfortable and not feel safe.” 

In the end, Hanon said, it all comes down to whether the university is willing to show frightened students that it will stand by them—and that’s a call straight to the top of the university. “I feel like any higher-up showing support means the world to everybody else, because they would know the university is on our side.”