January 29, 2026: This Week in International Student News
- Carrie Circosta
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
*puts down shovel*
*wipes forehead*
OK, snow. We're good now for the rest of winter. 😅 Though I have a feeling we're just getting started...
But hey, we keep going...no matter how much snow drops or what's happening in the news. Am I right?
Check out what I'm covering this week:
📰 Top Headlines: A federal judge allows two Montana State students to proceed with their lawsuit against DHS, Texas Governor Abbott freezes H-1B visa applications at public universities, and a Minneapolis shooting sparks nationwide concern as universities respond with safety measures.
💰 Scholarship Spotlight: Understanding need-blind admissions—what it means, why it matters, and which 11 U.S. universities extend this policy to international students, ensuring your ability to pay doesn't affect your acceptance.
🔍 Interesting Find: Universities are stepping up with innovative support for international scholars—from career development workshops to legal consultations—as they navigate the complex decade-long journey from F-1 visa to green card.
⚡ Deep Dive – Immigration Corner: America's first international students. Long before F-1 visas existed, international students were crossing oceans to study in America. Discover the pioneering students from the 1830s onward who helped establish the global education tradition we know today.
☃️ ☃️ ☃️
Carrie at International Student Voice ⭐info@istudentvoice.com
Best Links for International Students
📰 TOP 3 HEADLINES FROM THE WEEK
🚨 Minneapolis Shooting: The Latest Updates and University Responses
On January 24, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and University of Minnesota alumnus, during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. A preliminary internal CBP review contradicts the Trump administration's initial narrative that Pretti attacked officers or threatened them with a weapon, stating instead that Pretti was pepper-sprayed and resisted arrest during a struggle before two officers shot him. Multiple bystander videos show Pretti holding only a phone before officers tackled and shot him face-down on the ground. The incident has prompted bipartisan calls for investigation and multiple reviews by federal agencies, and the agents involved in the shooting have been put on leave. Twin Cities universities responded by implementing shelter-in-place orders, moving classes online, providing security escorts, and sharing guidance on what to do if federal agents come to campus. The Minneapolis College of Art and Design, located near the shooting, canceled classes for the week and moved to remote learning for two weeks. (NPR) (Inside Higher Ed)
🇺🇸 Texas Governor Orders Freeze on H-1B Visa Applications at Public Universities
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday directed all public universities and state agencies to freeze new H-1B visa applications through the end of the 2027 legislative session (May 31, 2027), requiring written permission from the Texas Workforce Commission before initiating any new petitions. The directive also requires universities and agencies to submit detailed reports, including the number of H-1B visa holders currently sponsored, job titles, countries of origin, visa expiration dates, and documentation showing efforts to give qualified Texans a reasonable opportunity to apply for positions. Federal data shows Dallas ISD employs 230 H-1B visa holders as of September 30, 2025, the most of any education-related employer in Texas, followed by UT Southwestern Medical Center with 220 and Texas A&M University with 210. (KUT)
⚖️ Federal Judge Allows Montana State Students' Lawsuit Against DHS to Proceed
A federal judge in Montana denied the Department of Homeland Security's motion to dismiss a lawsuit from two Montana State University international students whose visas were revoked last year during an immigration crackdown. The two students—one from Iran and another from Turkey—were caught up in ICE's "student criminal alien initiative," which cross-referenced records of foreign university students with the National Crime Information Center for any overlap with criminal records; both students had been charged with misdemeanors in Bozeman Municipal Court but neither had been convicted. Federal attorneys argued the case should be moot since immigration authorities reversed course and reactivated the students' visa statuses within days, calling the effort a "disaster." However, U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen ruled Monday that "it is simply not 'absolutely clear' that the challenged conduct will not recur," especially given the Trump administration's continued focus on immigration crackdowns. The ACLU of Montana, representing the students, can now proceed to depose federal immigration officials regarding their actions. (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)
🎓 FEATURED SCHOLARSHIP
Understanding Need-Blind Admissions for International Students
Need-blind admissions means universities don't consider a student's financial status during the admissions process—your ability to pay has no bearing on whether you're accepted. This levels the playing field for students from lower to middle-income families who might otherwise be excluded from elite universities that favor those with financial means. While many top universities practice need-blind admissions for domestic students, only 11 U.S. universities currently extend this policy to international students. Learn more about these universities here: (Study International)
🔍 INTERESTING FIND
How Universities Can Better Support International Scholars
International scholars face a complex, decade-long immigration journey while contributing an estimated $42.9 billion to the U.S. economy. Leading universities have developed innovative support programs beyond traditional academic services, including partnerships with organizations like Beyond the Professoriate for career development, tailored workshops addressing visa restrictions and OPT applications, mentorship programs matching scholars with alumni who share international backgrounds, and community-building initiatives like Friendship Fridays and International Coffee Hour. Read the full article for specific program examples and actionable strategies that institutions can implement. (Inside Higher Ed)
News in 1 Sentence
Oklahoma lawmakers propose at least 10 bills to restrict international students at Oklahoma colleges and universities, including prohibiting undocumented students from receiving financial aid or resident tuition and requiring institutions to publish enrollment numbers from foreign countries.
Florida's Board of Governors plans to vote on a proposal to ban public universities from hiring faculty or staff through the H-1B visa program for approximately one year through January 5, 2027, following Governor Ron DeSantis's directive to end "H-1B abuse" at Florida universities.
TikTok's new U.S. joint venture blamed a data center power outage for app glitches that prevented users from posting content about ICE operations and sending messages containing the word "Epstein," though California Governor Gavin Newsom launched an investigation into whether the platform is censoring Trump-critical content.
Point Park University international students expressed concerns about recent ICE activity and rapidly escalating enforcement, with one Brazilian student fearing they may not be able to return if they travel home due to quickly changing visa policies, though university police stated they will not cooperate with ICE or allow agents into campus buildings without a warrant.
European lawmakers and soccer officials are calling for boycotts of this summer's World Cup in the U.S., with a Dutch petition gathering over 140,000 signatures and German, French, and British parliamentarians citing Trump's threats over Greenland, crackdowns on immigrants, and undermining of international law as reasons to withdraw from the tournament.
DEEP DIVE: IMMIGRATION CORNER 🛂
The First International Students in America: A Legacy Worth Remembering
Ever since I found the article a few weeks ago about Modesto Lopez, an international student from Spain who passed away while in the U.S. attending Elon University back in 1918, I've been wondering about the other first international students in the country.
Did they face the same struggles as many are facing today? Who were they and where were they from?
While exact records are incomplete—many early universities didn't track students' countries of origin systematically—here are some of the earliest known international students at U.S. institutions, pioneers who helped establish America's tradition of global education.
University of Georgia: John Diomatari, Greece (1835)
One of the very first known international students to graduate from an American university was John Diomatari from Ipsara, Greece, who graduated from the University of Georgia in 1835.
Diomatari's journey to Georgia came during a transformative period in Greek history, just years after Greece gained independence from Ottoman rule. After completing his studies, he returned to serve his homeland and later became the U.S. Consul in Athens, embodying the bridge-building role that so many international students would fill in the centuries to come.
University of Michigan: Students from Mexico and Wales (1847)
The University of Michigan enrolled its first students from abroad in 1847, one from Mexico and one from Wales. Not too long after in 1872, the first student from Asia, Japan specifically, was enrolled.
In 1908, the university established an English language program within the College of Engineering. This program would eventually evolve to become their English Language Institute for the university.
University of Minnesota: Early International Pioneers (1870s)
The University of Minnesota welcomed international students in its early years, including Andrew Russell Cass from Canada, who graduated in 1875, and Hans Hansen from Prasto, Denmark. These students arrived during a period of massive European immigration to the Midwest, seeking both opportunity and education in America's expanding frontier.
In 1914, the first Chinese students enrolled at the University of Minnesota. They played on the university soccer team and won the championship during the 1914 season.
Photo courtesy of the University of Minnesota: Pen Wen Ping, Pan Wen Huen, and Kwong Yih Kum (Harding) with the 1914 university soccer team.
Chinese Educational Mission to New England (1870s-1880s)
One of the first government-sponsored international student programs brought Chinese students to New England in the 1870s and 1880s. This mission sent young Chinese scholars to Connecticut and Massachusetts with a clear purpose: learn Western technology, science, and educational methods to modernize China. Though the program eventually ended due to political tensions, it represented an early recognition that international education could serve strategic national interests.
Northern Illinois University: Students from the Philippines (1904)
In 1904, four of the first six students from the Philippines arrived at what was then the Northern Illinois State Normal School (now Northern Illinois University). This early 20th-century wave of Filipino students came during the period of American administration of the Philippines, reflecting the complex colonial relationships that often shaped early international student mobility.
Courtesy of Northern Illinois University: Four of the first six students from the Philippines. Northern’s first overseas students arrived in 1904.
University of Northern Iowa: Bedros Kevork Apelian, Syria (1907)
Bedros Kevork Apelian, born in Syria, studied at what is now the University of Northern Iowa around 1907, representing one of the early students from the Middle East in American higher education. His presence highlighted how even in the early 1900s, American universities were attracting students from diverse regions of the world.
Why This History Matters
These pioneering students paved the way for the more than one million international students who study in the United States today. Their stories remind us that international education has always been woven into the fabric of American higher education—not as a recent phenomenon or policy question, but as a fundamental part of our academic heritage.
Many of these early students became bridges between their home countries and the United States, serving as diplomats, educators, and cultural ambassadors. They proved that the exchange of knowledge across borders enriches both the students and the institutions that welcome them.
Uncover Your Institution's History
Does your university or college know when its first international student arrived? What's their story? Many institutions have rich histories of global education that remain undiscovered in archives and old records.
If you're a current student, alumnus, or simply curious about your local institution's history, I encourage you to dig into this question. Check with your university's international student office, archives, or history department. You might uncover a fascinating story that deserves to be told.
If you discover something about your institution's history with international students, I'd love to hear about it—email me at info@istudentvoice.com.
Let's continue documenting this important legacy together!
SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE!
Disclaimer: International Student Voice is not an immigration attorney or immigration advisor. The purpose of this newsletter is strictly educational. Always consult with qualified legal counsel for advice specific to your situation.
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