The Forum Daily | Thursday, August 7, 2025https://immigrationforum.org/

**THE FORUM DAILY**Just weeks before classes start, international students are scrambling to secure their visas to study in American universities, report Francesca Maglione, Nic Querolo, and Amanda Albright of Bloomberg [link removed]. 

If students are unable to enter the U.S., universities may face significant budgetary challenges, Bloomberg notes. 

International student enrollment across the country could drop by as many as 150,000 students in the next year, reports Ashley Mowreader in Inside Higher Ed [link removed]. 

Estimations by NAFSA, the association of international educators, indicate that colleges and universities could see a 15% drop in international student enrollment, which would lead to $7 billion in lost revenue and cost 60,000 jobs. 

Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA, urged the State Department to act to ensure international students can arrive this fall. “For the United States to succeed in the global economy, we must keep our doors open to students from around the world,” Aw said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Oklahoma over a law that gives undocumented students access to in-state tuition and financial aid in the state’s higher education institutions, reports Emma Murphy of the Oklahoma Voice [link removed]. 

Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Clara Villatoro, the Forum’s assistant VP of strategic communications, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Marcela Aguirre, Jillian Clark and Callie Jacobson. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected] mailto:[email protected]. 

**ICE RECRUITS** — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reassigned employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help with immigration enforcement efforts, reports Brianna Sacks of The Washington Post [link removed]. While DHS officials say the move is temporary, some FEMA employees and officials say losing these workers will slow already difficult operations. Meanwhile, DHS has also removed the age restrictions on who can sign up to be an ICE agent, reports Rebecca Santana of the Associated Press [link removed].  

**TARGETED** — Catalina Santiago, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient and immigration activist, was detained as she was about to board a domestic flight, reports Nick Mordowanec of Newsweek [link removed]. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson argues Santiago was arrested due to her criminal history and emphasized that DACA recipients are not automatically protected from deportation. Meanwhile, Ricky Munoz of Click2Houston [link removed] shares Lisbeth Avila’s story, what DACA means to her, and her reaction to recent comments urging DACA recipients to self-deport. 

**EMPLOYMENT AND TAXES** — The increased immigration enforcement is one of the factors that is leading into a slowing employment gain, reports Zach Halaschak of the Washington Examiner [link removed].  One sector being affected by new immigration enforcement policies is home care, report Elvia Malagón and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang of Chicago Public Media [link removed]. In Texas, a shift in immigration policy—particularly increased data sharing between agencies—risks deterring immigrants from contributing the billions in tax revenue they currently provide, reports Julián Aguilar of the Houston Chronicle [link removed]. 

**REFUGEE SUPPORT** — As federal support for refugee resettlement agencies has dwindled, community members and organizations continue to celebrate newly arrived families and help them start their lives in Florida, reports Nancy Guan of WUSF [link removed]. Many nonprofits and groups have stepped up to fill the gaps that have grown after the termination of federal funding. “Now is not the time to be divided,” said Florence Ackey of the Refugee and Migrant Women Initiative, “The community should come together and find there's always beauty in diversity.” 

For more on refugees and their experiences: 

* Refugee and asylum seekers in Illinois speak on the difficulties and confusion they face today. (Cianna Greaves, WBEZ Chicago [link removed]) 

* Freemont, California, is known as “Little Kabul” - locals tell their own refugee stories and discuss how the area became a haven for displaced Afghans. (Asal Ehsanipour, KQED [link removed]) 

Thanks for reading,  

Clara 

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