International doctoral math student Golnaz Bahrami normally plays badminton and volleyball with friends to cope with the loneliness of being away from family in Iran. But social distancing guidelines have made this difficult and U.S. imposed travel bans prevent her from returning home. 

“We are trying hard to be accepted in this society, and we’re trying to extend our social circle, trying to find friends,” Bahrami said. “You are here, you are alone, you don’t have your social communications as before. You feel like you cannot go back to your country. It’s kind of having a feeling of deep isolation.” 

The coronavirus pandemic has changed daily life for people all over the world, including UO students, but international students are among the most impacted groups within the UO community. COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in travel safety and accessibility, and many international students can’t return home during the pandemic.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made the international student experience even more stressful when it announced July 6 that international students taking only remote courses this fall must leave the U.S. or risk deportation.

Dennis Galvan, UO vice provost for international affairs, was alarmed by the policy change. 

“We looked at what the federal government proposed on July 6, and we saw no reason for it, since it seemed unfairly targeting one population of students,” Galvan said in an interview with the Daily Emerald. “After looking at it for a few days, we decided to fight it.”

UO signed an amicus curiae brief in support of the lawsuit filed by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology against the Department of Homeland Security. Later, UO filed as lead plaintiff in a similar lawsuit with 19 other universities.

“Part of [supporting students] in this business is interpreting the rules and helping everyone understand the rules from the federal government,” Galvan said. “Some of them are annoying, some are quite nasty, even xenophobic, and we have to let everyone know that they’re not okay.”

In an attempt to prevent international students from being deported, UO announced July 9 that it would offer a free, in-person, one-credit class about remote learning strategies.

“I felt very reassured, especially seeing that the school was offering it free, without any tuition cost to me,” former International Student Association President Chiara Chang said. “That really just showed me that the school is really trying to keep us here.”

Although ICE rescinded its ruling July 14, international students still faced intense stress and anxiety during the eight days the threat of deportation hung over them.

UO’s student body included 1,500 international students during spring term, according to Galvan. He said approximately 28% of those students were outside the U.S., with the remaining 72% residing in Eugene. More than 28% of the international student population as of summer term is probably back in their home countries, Galvan said.

“I think the most challenging part is not being seen and really kind of falling through the cracks of the system,” international doctoral political science student Alberto Lioy said. “Because we can’t apply for the CARES Act, we can’t apply for unemployment benefits, we kind of don’t exist.”

As of July 24, newly enrolled international students won’t be able to enter the U.S. if their fall term classes are all online, according to ICE. The visa flexibility extended to students in March due to COVID-19 would only be applicable toward students enrolled in U.S. universities at the time.. However, newly enrolled students who were already in the U.S. can remain in the country. 

International students face several uncertainties regarding travel and visa statuses. U.S. embassies halted routine visa services in March and have not announced when they will resume  in most countries.Other issues include gaining access to technology in their country of origin and finding jobs.

Due to travel restrictions, many of Lioy’s international colleagues are stuck in the U.S., paying rent without a job, since international students are not permitted to work off-campus.

“Very few international grad students have jobs during the summer because there are so few summer positions,” said Lioy, a political science GE. “I was one of the lucky ones to get a position, so I’m getting paid through the summer.”

Many international students are unsure of when they will see their families again due to changing policies, visa statuses, and travel restrictions. Bahrami does not know when she will return home since the U.S. placed travel bans on Iran.

“It’s really hard,” Bahrami said. “You cannot imagine; I think that I cannot go back to my country because I’ve seen too many people who went back and they got deported at the airport. They cannot come back to the states.”