Graphic by Steven Ospina Delgado
Stony Brook University is, for many, a place of opportunity. Over 3,400 international students travel from around the globe to receive their education from New York’s #1 public university.
Instead of worrying about their rigorous academics however, they face a much larger concern: being thrown out of the United States.
Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, countless immigrants have been deported or have left the U.S. out of fear of being deported. As of January, just under 3 million “illegal aliens” have left, or been deported from the U.S., according to the Department of Homeland Security.
SBU’s response — or lack thereof — hasn’t reassured students, especially given the current state of immigration policy.
In February, SBU students and staff protested the SBU administration’s inaction. They demanded the administration put protections for international and immigrant students in place, and commit to not cooperating with ICE activity on campus.
Formerly known as sensitive locations, ICE designates colleges and universities as protected areas — areas that are “generally avoided” unless there is a security threat.
SBU’s Visa and Immigration Services (VIS) website previously reflected this policy. It stated that “enforcement actions should not occur outside of extraordinary circumstances.” This was accompanied with a faulty link that seemingly led to a description of what a sensitive location is.
The website now makes no mention of sensitive locations.
During President Trump’s 2025 inauguration, he rescinded the 2021 Guidelines for Enforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas policy. The memo, which rescinded the sensitive location policy, stated “it is not necessary … to create bright line rules regarding where our immigration laws are permitted to be enforced.”
When asked about the change on the website and how the university is supporting international students amid recent immigration enforcement changes, an SBU official said:
“International students are a vital part of our university community, and we remain committed to supporting them and ensuring their safety. We work closely with SUNY and state partners, and we are connected with the New York State Office for New Americans to provide legal resources and academic guidance. We will continue to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.”
The statement didn’t acknowledge the change on the website. SBU has not made an announcement regarding the change on the website either.
Student fears and upset
Despite student protests and demands, the university hasn’t made statements addressing them, making some students feel uneasy.
Nancy Hiemstra, an immigration policy expert and SBU professor, says neutrality won’t be enough to calm student fears.
“Stony Brook really should officially say: ‘Our police will not cooperate with ICE,’ and reaffirm their emphasis on education of all students,” she said. “For a lot of students, not having that public affirmation is really disappointing and adds to fears.”
Stress from the revocation and subsequent reinstatement of 11 student visas lingers on campus, threatening the security many international students believed they had. When a student has their F-1 visa revoked, they usually have 15 days to leave the country and overstaying a student visa can result in arrest or deportation.
The university has said it advocates for international students and reinstating the 11 revoked visas, but many students — especially Latino Americans — still don’t feel safe on campus.
Latin Americans make up the overwhelming majority of this year’s ICE detainees, and a recent Supreme Court ruling allows ICE agents to continue racial profiling in immigration policing.
“There’s so much to create a sense of fear in immigrants and non-white people because they’re racially profiling across the board.” Hiemstra said. “They feel a sense of fear in daily lives meaning that they don’t do a lot of normal activities.”
One person that has felt the impact is Christopher Avilla, a Salvadoran-Honduran SBU student who fears not only his friends’ and family’s safety, but his own.
“My dad’s uncle just recently got deported,” Avilla said. “When it first started, I wasn’t expecting it to affect me, but I didn’t go out all this summer because, unfortunately, I’m at risk. I myself am at risk, my family’s at risk, so it’s just better to stay at home.”
Avilla also expressed disdain towards SBU’s decision to remove the link from its VIS website.
“For a university this massive, worrying about [ICE] disgusts me because it not only affects the student body but it can also lead into families being drawn in if God forbid ICE did come onto campus.”
Latino Americans aren’t the only ones experiencing anxiety over potential deportation. The issue expands to students studying on an F-1 visa as well.
An SBU student on an F-1 visa spoke under the condition of anonymity, due to fear of deportation. They said they feel restricted in their freedoms due to their immigration status.
“When I came [to the U.S.] I promised myself not to join protests from the danger of getting out and losing my visa,” the student said. “I feel kind of threatened. I don’t feel free to protest.”
The student added that they don’t want to go back to their home country, and wants to work after graduating in the U.S.
When asked about international students’ safety concerns, SBU officials responded with a statement similar to the previous one:
“International students contribute greatly to our university and we will continue to do everything possible to support our impacted students and keep them safe. We work closely with SUNY and state partners and we are connected to the New York State Office for New Americans for legal support and academic guidance, while taking every effort to protect the identities of students affected.”
Students have vocalized their frustrations towards the university, made clear by the protesters’ demands towards SBU administration. SBU has not yet made a response to the demands.
Hiemstra said the university hasn’t “come out with as strong a statement as some faculty would like to see, like saying ICE is not allowed.”
“They’ve said they won’t share [student] information, but some stronger statements would be appreciated.”
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