College issues updated guidance for international students amid crackdown on student visas

By Caleb Tobin 

Rumeysa Ozturk being detained by masked federal agents. Photo Credit: CBS Boston

Stonehill College is giving updated guidance to students and staff who hold visas or green cards in light of recent immigration crackdowns across the country. 

Tom Flynn, vice president and general counsel of Stonehill College, sent a community-wide email on March 31 outlining the College’s recommendations. 

“While large-scale targeting of documented immigrants has not been widely reported, there have been instances where individuals have faced detention or deportation, sometimes linked to political activism,” Flynn said in the email. 

Flynn advises visa and green card holders at Stonehill to “carry valid immigration documents at all times,” noting that penalties for non-compliance are expected to increase from $100 to $5,000 starting in April. 

He also asks community members to “consider the necessity” of traveling outside the country. 

“Changes in reentry requirements and increased scrutiny at borders may pose challenges upon return to the United States. Consulting with an immigration attorney before traveling internationally is advisable,” Flynn said in the email. 

Flynn is also recommending that visa and green card holders limit the amount of personal information stored on their devices when traveling and adjust privacy settings on their social media accounts. 

This updated guidance for international students and staff comes as the federal government has been detaining international students at other universities, including in Boston.  

Last week, Rumeysa Ozturk, a student at Tufts University, was detained by masked federal agents and sent to a detention center in Louisiana.  

According to the Associated Press, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Ozturk was detained because she “engaged in activities in support of Hamas.” The federal government has not provided any evidence to support that claim.  

Ozturk had previously co-written an op-ed in Tufts’ student newspaper criticizing the university’s response to student demands over the war in Gaza. The op-ed made no mention of Hamas or support for terrorism.