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How the Trump administration's crackdown on international students could affect the economy
Confirmed
In Short: A new report by Boston Indicators and the MassINC Policy Center highlights how immigration policies under the Trump administration are affecting the state's labor force and economy.
The report, titled 'An Uncertain Future: How the Immigration Crackdown Threatens Massachusetts’ Labor Force,' was released Thursday and details the economic contributions of international students.
Researchers estimate that international students contributed approximately $5.7 billion to the Massachusetts economy during the 2024-25 academic year through tuition payments, housing costs, and consumer spending.
The report emphasizes the importance of highly skilled workers in fields such as life sciences, engineering, healthcare, and technology.
Massachusetts faces significant demographic challenges, including low birth rates, an aging population, and residents leaving the state for other parts of the country.
Higher education, a cornerstone of the Boston economy, is particularly vulnerable due to the Trump administration's policies.
Massachusetts hosts one of the largest concentrations of colleges and universities in the country and enrolls the highest share of international students relative to total enrollment.
In January, the State Department revoked 8,000 student visas for individuals with encounters with U.S. law enforcement for criminal activity.
The report underscores the potential economic impact of these policies on the state's labor force and economic outlook.
The U.S. economy added just 29,000 jobs in September, far fewer than economists expected, and the unemployment rate rose slightly from 4.1% to 4.2%.
What this adds
The report does not address the specific impact of the proposed $70,000 fee on the number of international students choosing to study in Massachusetts.
Background
The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to weigh in on whether and when a federal court can throw out an agency’s action or rule in its entirety, specifically in the context of a policy denying bond hearings for immigrants.
Bonta also pointed out that the Trump administration was violating a federal law that prohibits states from changing voter rolls within 90 days of an election.
What's confirmed
- The report, titled 'An Uncertain Future: How the Immigration Crackdown Threatens Massachusetts’ Labor Force,' was released Thursday and details the economic contributions of international students.
- Researchers estimate that international students contributed approximately $5.7 billion to the Massachusetts economy during the 2024-25 academic year through tuition payments, housing costs, and consumer spending.
- The report emphasizes the importance of highly skilled workers in fields such as life sciences, engineering, healthcare, and technology.
- Massachusetts faces significant demographic challenges, including low birth rates, an aging population, and residents leaving the state for other parts of the country.
- Higher education, a cornerstone of the Boston economy, is particularly vulnerable due to the Trump administration's policies.
- Massachusetts hosts one of the largest concentrations of colleges and universities in the country and enrolls the highest share of international students relative to total enrollment.
- In January, the State Department revoked 8,000 student visas for individuals with encounters with U.S. law enforcement for criminal activity.
- The report underscores the potential economic impact of these policies on the state's labor force and economic outlook.
- The U.S. economy added just 29,000 jobs in September, far fewer than economists expected, and the unemployment rate rose slightly from 4.1% to 4.2%.
What's still developing
- A new proposed $70,000 fee for international students who are seeking to work in the U.S. after graduation is the latest Trump administration policy targeting scholars from abroad.
- "The kind of money that's been stolen is trillions from this country," Trump said during an Oval Office announcement.
- "If anybody turns anybody in, a billion dollars, five billion dollars, 100 billion, you get a one percent commission," Trump said, calling it potentially the largest commission ever paid.
- RwandAir, for example, canceled flights WB452 and WB453 on Aug. 31, citing operational constraints affecting air-traffic-control services at JKIA.
- Riyadh’s international airport has also been among the locations affected by deadly attacks.
- According to a Wednesday report from The Hollywood Reporter, Comcast-owned Universal Pictures, which holds distribution rights to the film outside the North American market, is getting “cold feet” about releasing it.
- Download the Straight Arrow app today to get the stories that matter free from manipulation, bias or agenda.™ “Following the United States and Israeli attacks on 28 February, the mission found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects,” the fact-finding team said in a statement.
- Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin described Zelenskyy’s open letter proposing the meeting as “boorish,” particularly after a May 22 drone attack on a college dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region that Moscow said killed 21 and wounded scores of others.
- Healthwatch Climate - Economy - Defence - Resources - Indigenous - AI + Tech - Art's History - Politician's Pen - Articles written by sitting and former Canadian politicians.
- Ukraine’s largest steel company, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, said on Sept. 25 that it cannot restart steel production amid a surge in Russian strikes on factories, as the embattled sector calls for more domestic and international support to prevent its total collapse.
- "A recovery fund could help affected producers finance emergency repairs, restore production capacity, and make operations more resilient," Oleksandr Vodoviz, head of the CEO’s office at Metinvest, told the Kyiv Independent.
- Entertainment Tonight shared a closer look at the encounter: Unfortunately, the footage has no audio, so nobody's case is getting any "Stronger."
Sources
- Dorchester Reporterlink
- PBSlink
- Stl30link
- Burunditimeslink
- Ksportswatchlink
- Newsgramlink
- Sanlink
- AP Newslink
- Nationalnewswatchlink
- Kyivindependentlink
- Comicsandslink
- Fox Newslink
- Kcralink
- Newslink
- WarpBeat — background on Trump administration asks justices to determine courts’ ability to vacate federal agency actions link
- WarpBeat — background on Trump Administration Sues California Over Voter Rolls link