Two more international student visas have been revoked by the Trump administration for reasons unrelated to protest activity, President Jay Bernhardt wrote in an emailed statement to the Emerson community on Tuesday, bringing the total number of visa revocations to three.
“It is important for us to come together in support of our international students because their presence and perspectives add so much to our community,” Bernhardt wrote. “We will continue to strongly support them in pursuing their Emerson studies while we work strategically and deliberately to protect their status and rights.”
The action comes as higher education institutions around Greater Boston and the country experience a crackdown on foreign students in the wake of the Trump administration’s actions to combat alleged antisemitism the administration has said is tied to pro-Palestine protest activity.
In New England alone, over 100 international students have had their visas revoked: 40 have been terminated at Northeastern University, 13 at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 12 at Harvard University, and 11 at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, among others. Emerson is currently among 60 colleges under federal investigation for alleged “antisemitic discrimination and harassment.”
The president wrote that the college “remains vigilant” in assessing potential federal threats, especially those that could impact Emerson’s fiscal operations, as the college strengthens its partnerships and maintains regular communication with other higher education institutions.
The Trump administration has recently gone after high-profile Ivy League institutions, including Harvard University, which was threatened with a near $9 billion federal funding freeze if the school did not acquiesce to a list of demands. Harvard refused the list of demands, asserting the federal government abused its power in an unconstitutional manner, and sued the Trump administration.
“As we manage these immediate and evolving challenges, we remain focused on our five-year strategic plan and our unwavering commitment to the core values that drive our inclusive and caring culture,” Bernhardt wrote.
The email also acknowledged the heightened emotions community members may feel as the institution approaches the one year anniversary of the 2 Boylston Place Alleyway arrests. Boston Police, with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police, swept the alley in the early morning hours of April 25, 2024, after students affiliated with Boylston Students for Justice in Palestine staged a four-day encampment in solidarity with the Palestinian people that ended in the arrest of 118 individuals.
In the wake of the encampment and other protest activity last year, Emerson tightened its expression policies to restrict the time, place, and manner of actions and required demonstrators to produce an ID or remove masks upon request to verify identities. Anyone found in violation of these policies is subject to disciplinary action.
“We continue to encourage our community members to openly convey their beliefs within the reasonable limits of our expression policies, which are designed to prevent harassment and intimidation while ensuring safe operations,” Bernhardt wrote. “The College approaches discipline thoughtfully, consistently, and only when necessary, striving to do so with fairness and respect for our community standards and the individuals involved.”
The college has recently faced criticism after two resident assistants were fired for alleged pro-Palestine protest activity, which resulted in the students’ loss of housing and meal plan less than two weeks until the end of the semester. The college has affirmed that the impacted students have been given the option to stay on campus for a pro-rated cost, a number that could not be confirmed to The Beacon due to differing financial aid factors, a college spokesperson said.
“Freedom of expression is strongly supported at Emerson, and disciplinary action is taken only in response to violations of policies or laws, not due to the content of a person’s views or beliefs,” the email added.
In the email, Bernhardt asserted that last April’s arrests were a “heartbreaking situation that the college strongly sought to prevent.” He cited attempted communications between college administrators and Boylston SJP protesters to convey the numerous violations of city ordinances, but said despite “extensive efforts to resolve these issues peacefully and without arrests,” the interaction between police and students became confrontational and resulted in injuries for all parties.
“The College leadership once again expresses gratitude to the staff and administrators who were present in the alley that evening and worked throughout the night and in the following weeks to support students from all backgrounds and perspectives,” Bernhardt wrote.
“With your support and partnership, Emerson will persevere and prevail, enabling us to achieve our vision of being a world-leading college for communication and the arts,” he added.
