MSU international students are warned not to leave the country
The email raised concerns among members of Michigan State University's international community.
On Thursday afternoon, international students at MSU received an email from the Office for International Students and Scholars, or OISS, 'strongly' recommending them not to leave the United States, among other recommendations.
The email, signed by Krista McCallum, director of OISS, was delivered independently to foreign students, but with the same content: An important update in response to recent federal government actions affecting the international academic community, both those already legally in the country and those still in process to enter.
By the end of May, a cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press stated that the U.S. government decided to halt new student visa interviews for foreign applicants to U.S. colleges, where they plan to use the review of social media activity as a filter to vet foreign applicants.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of State released a press statement in which Rubio specified that 'under President Trump's leadership,' Chinese students' visas will be 'aggressively' revoked, including those 'with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.'
'Our current understanding is that previously scheduled visa interview appointments will proceed as planned. However, most embassies and consulates have suspended scheduling new appointments,' the message said.
McCallum advised those students who are still in the U.S. not to leave the country.
'For students and scholars inside the U.S.: We strongly advise that you do not travel outside the United States,' McCallum said in the communication.
For those currently outside the country who require a visa to return, McCallum recommended staying in close contact with the U.S. embassy or consulate in their area. Additionally, for those unsure about the validity of their visas, the email included a link where students could check their current visa stamp.
MSU spokesperson Amber McCann reiterated one more time that the international community on campus is essential to the university's academic and professional development, adding that 'The university is closely monitoring recent federal policy changes and updates concerning international students and scholars.'
Chinese college students in Michigan among those nationwide facing direct threats of visa revocation
'We will continue to advocate for policies that enable us to welcome international students and scholars from around the world and promote global engagement,' McCann concluded.'
As it is happening across the country, within MSU's international community, concerns about not returning home over the summer due to the severity of recent policy changes had already become a recurring topic, while those who traveled expressed concerns about their return. Many students had already decided not to travel back to their home countries, fearing potential issues with immigration when attempting to re-enter the U.S.
'It's no longer just about having your paperwork in order; now it feels like crossing the border comes with a real risk of running into trouble,' said Diego Granados, an MSU PhD student in biochemistry who is from Mexico. 'The atmosphere has changed. Every time you see another international student, you ask them if they're traveling this summer, because of the political climate.'
At the end of the email, McCallum expressed her support and concern for the international community and reiterated, as in previous communications stated by MSU, the university's commitment to international students, who have increasingly become targets of federal government policies nationwide.
'I understand that this news and the uncertainty surrounding it may be frustrating. Please know that MSU remains strongly committed to our international Spartan community. We will continue to welcome students and scholars from around the world, and we will advocate for policies that support your presence and success,' the email said.
MSU students had already protested what they considered to be the lack of action by MSU officials regarding the protection of the international community. And after only receiving statements and emails, they considered the university to be taking an insufficient stance.
'I think they just want to play it safe and make sure we don't leave,' said Granados. 'Honestly, it just feels awful. It's like this message is formalizing that feeling we already had, that even if you have legal status and you're pursuing a degree, going back home is now something risky. It might go wrong. You might not be able to come back.'
Luis Torres, an MSU PhD student in Kinesiology who is from Puerto Rico, highlighted the targeting of the immigrant community in general and how it escalated to academic fields.
'The pattern is evident: the criminalization of undocumented immigrants was amplified, university students who protested were stigmatized, and now the focus shifts to the entire international student community,' said Torres.
'A state that restricts access to education under current pretexts can justify future encroachments on fundamental rights, eroding democracy for the benefit of a privileged minority,' he finished.
Additionally, among foreign students, the protection of their identity or hiding their opinions have increasingly become a concern, showing a decline in freedom of speech within the community.
'It makes you feel trapped. Like, I'm here, and I can't cross the border or talk openly about it because they check my phone, don't like something, and I'm not allowed to reenter to finish my studies. That's really how it feels,' finished Granados.
A request for comment was sent via email to Krista McCallum, director of OISS, but has yet to be returned.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
36 minutes ago
- CNBC
Amazon closes Shanghai AI research lab in latest cost-cutting move
Amazon is shuttering its research lab in Shanghai focused on artificial intelligence development, the latest belt-tightening move by the e-commerce and cloud computing giant. Wang Minjie, an applied scientist at the lab, wrote in a WeChat post earlier this week that Amazon disbanded the team due to "strategic adjustments amid U.S.-China tensions." Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser said in a statement that the company "made the difficult business decision to eliminate some roles across particular teams" in its Amazon Web Services unit. The Financial Times was first to report on the lab closure. Amazon announced layoffs at AWS last week, with U.S. teams focused on marketing and training and certification among those that were impacted. Geopolitical tensions between the world's two largest economies have pushed a growing number of American corporations to reduce or discontinue their operations in China. President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policies have accelerated that shift, while the Chinese government has called for self-sufficiency in AI and technology development. The U.S. has also placed restrictions on China, limiting its ability to buy chips and chip-making equipment, including from companies like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, that can be used to train AI models. Some of those restrictions have since eased. AWS established the Shanghai lab in 2018 with a focus on areas like natural language processing and machine learning. The company has retreated from China over the past several years. In 2022, Amazon discontinued its Kindle e-book store in the region, after shuttering its e-commerce marketplace in China in 2019.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Hong Kong judge rules in favor of transgender bathroom access
HONG KONG — A Hong Kong judge on Wednesday ruled to strike down regulations criminalizing the use of bathrooms designated for the opposite sex, ruling in favor of transgender individuals' rights to access public toilets matching their identity. Judge Russell Coleman approved the judicial review of K, who was born a woman and identifies as a man, saying the regulations contravene an article of the city's mini-constitution that stipulates all residents should be equal before the law. But he suspended the declaration to strike down the regulations for a year to allow the government 'to consider whether it wishes to implement a way to deal with the contravention.' He said in the judgment that the regulations and 'drawing the line of a person's biological sex at birth create a disproportionate and unnecessary intrusion into the privacy and equality rights.' The ruling marks another step forward in recognizing the rights of LGBTQ+ people in the Chinese financial hub. In recent years, the government has revised policies following activists' wins in legal challenges. Currently, only children under 5 years old accompanied by an opposite sex adult can enter a public washroom designated for the opposite sex. Those violating the rule face a fine of up to 2,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $255). K launched a legal challenge in 2022, seeking to expand the exemption to pre-operative transgender people who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and have a medical need to undergo the process of living in their identified gender. He argued that his constitutional rights were infringed by the prohibition against him using public toilets allocated for men, the court heard. The Environment and Ecology Bureau said in an emailed statement that the government will carefully study the judgment and consult the Department of Justice on the appropriate follow-up action. Quarks, a group serving transgender youth in Hong Kong, welcomed the ruling, urging officials to take immediate action to rectify what it called long-standing discrimination in the system. 'The ruling is not just an affirmation of transgender rights legally but also a big step forward for Hong Kong's overall human rights development,' it said on Instagram. In 2023, Hong Kong's top court ruled that full sex reassignment surgery should not be a prerequisite for transgender people to have their gender changed on their official identity cards. The next year, the government revised its policy to allow people who have not completed full gender-affirmation surgery to change their genders on ID cards as long as they fulfill certain conditions. The conditions include the removal of breasts for transgender men, the removal of the penis and testes for transgender women, and having undergone continuous hormonal treatment for at least two years before applying. Applicants also have to continue their hormonal treatment and submit blood test reports for random checks upon the government's request. In April, activist Henry Tse, who won the legal battle in 2023 and received his new ID card reflecting his gender change last year, lodged a fresh legal challenge over the new requirements. Leung writes for the Associated Press.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Microsoft says China-backed cybercriminals hacked into US nuclear weapons agency
Microsoft has warned that Chinese state-sponsored hackers have breached its SharePoint software used by the US agency responsible for maintaining and modernizing the nation's stockpile of nuclear weapons, according to a report. The National Nuclear Security Administration, a semi-autonomous agency that operates under the auspices of the Department of Energy, was among the targets of a hack allegedly carried out by Chinese-backed cybercriminals, according to Bloomberg News. A Dutch cybersecurity company estimates that around 400 government agencies in the US, Mauritius, Jordan, South Africa and the Netherlands were impacted by the hack, according to Bloomberg News. Advertisement 4 A US government agency responsible for maintaining the nation's stockpile of nuclear weapons was reportedly targeted in a hack by Chinese-backed cybercriminals. U.S. DepartmentofDefense The Dutch firm, Eye Security, previously estimated that just 60 entities were impacted. A source familiar with the situation told the financial news site on Tuesday that no sensitive or classified information was known to have been stolen in the hack, which was made possible by exploiting a flaw in Microsoft's SharePoint document management software. 'On Friday, July 18th, the exploitation of a Microsoft SharePoint zero-day vulnerability began affecting the Department of Energy,' an agency spokesman told Bloomberg News. Advertisement 'The department was minimally impacted due to its widespread use of the Microsoft M365 cloud and very capable cybersecurity systems. A very small number of systems were impacted. All impacted systems are being restored.' The breaches have been ongoing since at least July 7, according to Adam Meyers, senior vice president at CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm that has partnered with Microsoft to ward off potential cyber threats. 'The early exploitation resembled government-sponsored activity, and then spread more widely to include hacking that 'looks like China',' Meyers told Bloomberg News. CrowdStrike's investigation into the campaign remains ongoing. Advertisement 4 In a blog post, Microsoft identified two reputed cybercriminal organizations, Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon, in the alleged scheme. Bloomberg via Getty Images The Post has sought comment from the NNSA, Microsoft, CrowdStrike and Eye Security. In a blog post, the tech giant identified two reputed cybercriminal organizations, Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon, in the alleged scheme to exploit flaws in Microsoft's software that is used by customers on their own networks rather than in the more secure cloud. These customers are at risk of having their data compromised by the hackers, according to Microsoft, which also fingered a third Chinese-based organization, Storm-2603, as doing the same. Advertisement Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! Microsoft SharePoint is a platform used to store, organize, share and manage internal web content across an organization — similar to intranets. The NNSA wasn't the only agency that was targeted in the alleged cyberattack. Among the victims are the US Department of Education, Florida's Department of Revenue and the Rhode Island General Assembly, which is the Ocean State's legislative body. Internationally, governments in Europe and the Middle East have also been targeted. Cybersecurity researchers have detected breaches on more than 100 servers, representing at least 60 victims across various sectors, including energy, consulting and academia. 4 The National Nuclear Security Administration is a semi-autonomous agency that operates under the auspices of the Department of Energy. Jarretera – Microsoft has patched the vulnerabilities in recent days, but the company expressed concern that hackers will continue to exploit these flaws in future attacks. 'We have high confidence that threat actors will continue to integrate them into their attacks,' Microsoft stated in its blog post. Advertisement 'China opposes and fights hacking activities in accordance with the law. At the same time, we oppose smears and attacks against China under the excuse of cybersecurity issues,' a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said in a statement. Cybersecurity experts have expressed grave concerns about the severity of the threat. Michael Sikorski, chief technology officer and head of threat intelligence for Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks Inc., described the situation as a 'high-severity, high-urgency threat.' Advertisement He emphasized the risks posed by SharePoint's deep integration with Microsoft's ecosystem, which includes services like Office, Teams, OneDrive and Outlook — all of which contain valuable data for attackers. 4 This archive picture shows the first B61-13 HiFi nuclear bomb unit completed at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque earlier this year. Craig Fritz/Sandia National Labs / SWNS Eye Security reported that the flaws allow hackers to access SharePoint servers and steal authentication keys, enabling them to impersonate users or services even after patches are applied. 'We estimate that the real number might be much higher as there can be many more hidden ways to compromise servers that do not leave traces,' Eye Security's co-owner Vaisha Bernard said in an email to Bloomberg News. Advertisement 'This is still developing, and other opportunistic adversaries continue to exploit vulnerable servers.' Despite Microsoft's efforts to bolster its security measures, including hiring executives from government agencies and holding weekly security meetings, the recent breaches have drawn renewed scrutiny. The US government issued a report last year that was critical of Microsoft's lax security culture.
