Recent visa terminations are making international students in Wisconsin worry about their future, and take precautions like removing social media and not participating pro-Palestinian organizing.
Category: Top Stories
Federal judge bans Trump from deporting UW-Madison student or canceling his visa
A federal judge has barred the Trump administration from deporting a UW-Madison international student whose student visa was canceled April 4 just weeks before he was set to graduate.
Researchers, lawmakers look to turn Wisconsin into the ‘Silicon Valley’ for nuclear energy
A group of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Realta Fusion, a Madison-based nuclear startup, have developed a fusion device in Stoughton that creates the same kind of reaction that fuels the sun and stars. The process is much different than fission, the nuclear reaction that powers current nuclear reactors and the atomic bomb.
Judge says UW-Madison international student with terminated visa can’t be deported for now
A federal judge barred the government from taking any action against a University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering student from India, delivering a temporary blow to the Trump administration’s sweeping campaign to revoke international student visas.
Wisconsin audits find lack of tracking of DEI spending at university system and state agencies
Republican-ordered audits released Friday found that Wisconsin state agencies and the University of Wisconsin system have failed to track the millions of dollars they spent on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, making it difficult to fully assess the initiatives.
Education Minnesota, Wisconsin join 19 states in suing Trump administration over canceled student visas
At least 40 student visas have been revoked at schools within the University of Wisconsin school system, with more than two dozen from UW-Madison alone.
A spokesperson from UW-Madison wrote, “As of April 9, UW-Madison is aware of the automatic sevis termination of 26 total records. This includes 15 current students and 11 recent alumni on employment authorization … A sevis record termination generally means that a nonimmigrant individual no longer holds lawful nonimmigrant status and should depart the U.S. immediately.”
‘Really unprecedented situation’: More UW-Madison student visas canceled by federal government
At least 40 student visas across the UW System have been terminated as of April 10, according to university officials. The number has doubled since April 7.
More than $12M in UW-Madison research funding cut by Trump administration
More than $12 million in research grants destined for the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been cut by President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a lawsuit filed by Wisconsin and 15 other states. Democratic state Attorney General Josh Kaul says the administration is “sabotaging medical and public health research.”
UW’s School of Education graduate school claims no. 1 spot in national rankings for second year
The University of Wisconsin’s School of Education graduate program has been ranked No. 1 for the second year in a row, according to the U.S. News & World Report.
‘It’s going to be really bad’: 27 international students get visas revoked at Wisconsin universities
The Trump administration is revoking visas for international university and college students across the country. Now, some international students at the Universities of Wisconsin have gotten their visas revoked.
‘Challenging times here’: UW-Madison lobbies for research funding in Washington, D.C.
Members of the UW-Madison community gathered Wednesday morning in Washington, D.C. ahead of their lobbying day on Capitol Hill.
“The reality is we’re certainly facing some interesting, challenging times here at the federal level,” said Craig Thompson, vice chancellor of university relations at UW-Madison. “There’s obviously potential cuts to research and other programs, and there’s just a great deal of uncertainty on campus.”
‘Day of the Badger’ raises $1.7 million
University of Wisconsin-Madison officials report that more than $1.7 million was raised to address key needs on campus during the sixth edition of the “Day of the Badger.”
UW-Madison students, alumni take to Capitol Hill to advocate for financial funding
Students and alumni from the University of Wisconsin-Madison gathered on Capitol Hill Wednesday to lobby amid growing uncertainty over federal funding for the university.
Trump administration terminates more UW-Madison student visas
More international students studying at Wisconsin colleges and universities have had their visas revoked by the Trump administration, scrambling their plans to study and work in the U.S.
Trump administration has cut $12.6 million in research grants to UW-Madison, provoking a lawsuit
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has lost at least $12.6 million in anticipated research dollars after President Donald Trump’s administration recently canceled four of its research grants, part of a national crackdown on funding for transgender issues, COVID-19 and diversity.
College students respond to visa terminations affecting Wisconsin international student
A spokesperson for the University of Wisconsin System said the U.S. government has terminated visas for international students at universities across the state, including 13 at UW-Madison.
Trump administration revokes visas for at least 27 international students across UW System
The Trump administration revoked the visas of more than two dozen current or former University of Wisconsin System students, UW officials have announced.
Visa terminations impact students at multiple University of Wisconsin schools
Visas for current or former students have been terminated at other Universities of Wisconsin schools, in addition to those that have been reported at UW-Madison.
UW international students and alumni face visa cancellations
Several international students and alumni from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have had their visas canceled from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, the university said in a statement Monday.
13 UW-Madison visas terminated by U.S. government, Mnookin says it’s not tied to ‘protest activity’
The United States government terminated six University of Wisconsin-Madison student visas and seven alumni visa employment extensions, the university announced in a statement Monday.
Several UW-Madison students, alumni have visas terminated by U.S. government
Six University of Wisconsin–Madison students had their visas terminated by the U.S. government, the university announced Monday.
In addition, seven alumni on employment extensions were also affected. A terminated visa status requires the individual to leave the United States immediately.
International students at UW-Madison have visas terminated amid nationwide crackdown at colleges
A handful of international students and alumni staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have had their visas terminated, according to the university.
UW-Stevens Point Chancellor Thomas Gibson to lead UW-Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Chancellor Thomas Gibson will now lead UW-Milwaukee, the Board of Regents announced Monday.
UW-Stevens Point chancellor Thomas Gibson named next UW-Milwaukee chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Chancellor Thomas Gibson was tapped to lead UW-Milwaukee, the UW Board of Regents announced Monday.
Plan to tear down UW Humanities building, revitalize Wisconsin prisons hits snag at Capitol
The State Building Commission has deadlocked on recommendations for new capital spending in the upcoming budget Tuesday, ceding its authority once again to the Legislature’s Republican-controlled budget committee.
Uncertainty over visas, political climate worry prospective UW-Madison international students
Director Samantha McCabe runs International Student Services at UW-Madison. She said international students are worried about a potential travel ban, their visas and federal funding uncertainty. She is concerned recent federal actions could ultimately shrink the international student population at UW-Madison.
Social Security cuts halt research at UW-Madison
The Social Security Administration axed the Retirement and Disability Research Consortium (RDRC), a federally funded research program studying demographic trends and social security policy impact.
Fans celebrate with Wisconsin Women’s Hockey team after 8th national title win
The Wisconsin Women’s Hockey team is celebrating their eighth national championship with fans at LaBahn Arena on Monday night.
Wisconsin epilepsy research stalls without federal funds
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison said they are struggling to advance study of a potential new epilepsy treatment after the Trump administration’s pause on grant review meetings by the National Institutes of Health.
U. Of Southern California, U. Of Wisconsin unveil cost-cutting plans
The University of Southern California and the University of Wisconsin-Madison are the latest universities to announce plans to trim their spending as they attempt to cope with increasing financial challenges stemming from the funding cutbacks and policy demands coming from the Trump administration.
Last Friday, University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, Provost Charles Isbell Jr. and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Rob Cramer advised academic administrators to exercise several budget controls for the remainder of fiscal year 2025, including reducing non-essential spending on travel, supplies, equipment, and events as well as reviewing all vacancies to determine if filling them is critical. Even more significant, all UW-Madison schools, colleges and administrative divisions were instructed to develop 5% and 10% budget reduction plans for the upcoming fiscal year.
Wisconsin women’s hockey has to work overtime to add to its record NCAA title haul
Mark Johnson has been musing about golf, fly fishing and, eventually, hockey the past few days while sitting behind a microphone at the Frozen Four, and one of the constant themes was life lessons.
Wise people, the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey coach said on the eve of his 12th appearance in an NCAA championship game, learn from the experiences that life throws their way. Wiser people, he continued, take knowledge from the journeys of others.
‘I’m just so incredibly excited’: UW Med students placed in residencies on Match Day
Match Day — the long-awaited moment when medical students nationwide learn where they’ll begin their residencies — arrived Friday at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
For Samantha Bush, it wasn’t just about where she’d spend the next few years of her training, it was about continuing a mission she started years ago.
UW-Madison professor’s climate change project halted by federal funding freeze
Days before his flight to Argentina, a UW-Madison researcher lost a Fulbright award from a federal funding freeze.Under President Trump’s administration, the U.S. State Department froze funds in February for international education programs. That includes the Fulbright Program, which allows scholars to conduct research overseas.
For one UW-Madison researcher, the freeze put more than a year’s worth of planning down the drain. “There’s a lot of anxiety in the scientific world now,” said UW-Madison professor emeritus, Richard Lindroth.
Trump’s funding changes are costing UW-Madison’s Fulbright winners
Hillary Jones Henry was banking on the American government keeping its promise.
A native of Kenya, Jones Henry was accepted into the federally funded Fulbright Foreign Student program for the 2024-25 academic year, teaching Swahili at UW-Madison in exchange for a monthly stipend of $1,320 to help cover costs, like rent. But on Feb. 22, his scheduled payment didn’t arrive. He tried to donate blood and plasma as a quick way to make money but was denied due to the prevalence of malaria in Africa.
Women put UW on map as renowned research institution
Women at the University of Wisconsin conduct groundbreaking research every day to advance their fields of study and contribute to a better understanding of the world.
UW ranks sixth in the nation for research universities among private and public universities, according to the National Science Foundation’s annual ranking. Women in research, specifically in STEM areas, are still underrepresented in research funding, according to a study by JAMA.
Tom Still: Research funding has produced real human benefits, with the promise of more
UW-Madison Professor Sterling Johnson leads one of the world’s largest and longest-running studies of people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. His team aims to diagnose the disease years before people develop symptoms and then identify ways to slow its progression.
“A key problem we are trying to solve is how we can diagnose the disease earlier, before people even develop symptoms,” Johnson said during a campus news conference. “Early diagnosis allows time for individuals and their families to take control of their situation, maintain good quality of life, take steps to protect brain health and learn about treatments.”
New UW-Madison police chief discusses ICE, pro-Palestinian encampment
After nearly 20 years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Brent Plisch officially became the new leader of campus police Sunday.
Plisch temporarily led the department after Kristen Roman resigned last year amid an investigation into her conduct as chief. Plisch then competed against a handful of outside candidates to fill the permanent position.
‘This building has to go’: Evers visits Chadbourne Residence Hall, Mosse Humanities to hear student concerns
Gov. Tony Evers visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison Thursday, touring Chadbourne Residence Hall and the Mosse Humanities Building to hear student concerns about the building and to highlight his 2025-27 Executive and Capital Budget investments.
UW-Madison has not received DOE complaint about DEI practices, spokesperson says
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is reported to be under federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. UW-Madison spokesperson John Lucas denied receiving a complaint.
UW-Madison among 50+ of universities under investigation over ‘race-exclusionary practices’
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of over 45 universities the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is investigating.
UW-Madison under investigation by federal Education Dept., accused of violating Civil Rights Act
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of 45 universities the U.S. Department of Education is investigating for using what the department calls “race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs”.
Trump administration cuts threaten UW-Madison ag studies, state farmers
Wisconsin farmer Andy Diercks sits on a red Memorial Union Terrace chair in the middle of a farm field, holding a potato in his left hand. “It’s amazing all the work that goes into growing this little guy,” he says to Amanda Gevens, UW-Madison chair of plant pathology, who sits across from him. “The research you’ve done over the past decades is critical to grow a good quality crop.”
Education Department investigates dozens of colleges for discrimination
Inside Higher Ed also contacted the two dozen institutions under investigation, and their responses varied. The University of Wisconsin at Madison and Carnegie Mellon University said they had yet to be formally notified of any complaint by the OCR and were awaiting more information to determine how to comply with an investigation.
University of Wisconsin-Madison’s ex-diversity officer scrutinized over spending, judgment amid DEI crackdown
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s former chief diversity officer displayed a “significant lapse” in judgment and fiscal responsibility, according to a report, as state and federal lawmakers seek to root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs in education.
UW-Madison under second investigation by Trump administration amid federal DEI crackdown
For the second time in a week, the federal education department placed the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a warning list.
The U.S. Department of Education said Friday it had opened an investigation into UW-Madison and 44 other universities nationwide over alleged racial discrimination. The notifications came exactly a month after the department issued sweeping guidance threatening to pull funding from colleges that do not eliminate all considerations of race from policies and programs.
Former UW-Madison DEI chief gave widespread bonuses, approved lavish spending
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s chief diversity officer made a series of poor financial decisions, including approving substantial salary increases and authorizing excessive travel spending, according to newly released records that shed light on the employee’s demotion earlier this year.
Layoffs gut Federal Education Research Agency
“Some of these surveys allow us to know if people are being successful in college. It tells us where those students are enrolled in college and where they came from. For example, COVID impacted everyone, but it had a disproportionate impact on specific regions in the U.S. and specific social and socioeconomic groups in the U.S.,” said Taylor Odle, an assistant professor of educational policy studies at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
“Post-COVID, states and regions have implemented a lot of interventions to help mitigate learning loss and accelerate learning for specific individuals. We’ll be able to know by comparing region to region or school to school whether or not those gaps increased or reduced in certain areas.”
Trump’s science cuts have thrown the research world into chaos
This canceled grant — which funded research into retirement that informed federal policymaking — has impacted the work of more than 50 people at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, including the termination of five senior researchers, says Ghilarducci, who anticipates more job losses at the other centers.
Wisconsin’s version of DOGE, dubbed GOAT, takes on telework, sets stage for talks on DEI
The committee heard testimony from agencies with employees who telework, including the Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Safety and Professional Services, in addition to the University of Wisconsin System and private-sector companies.
NIH cuts off more research funding, including for vaccine hesitancy. mRNA may be next
“It appears that there are forces intent on destroying our existing vaccine enterprise,” says Dr. Jonathan Temte, a professor of family medicine at the University of Wisconsin who studies vaccine hesitancy. “Defunding research on vaccine hesitancy is the latest example of this effort.”
Trump administration threatens UW-Madison, other universities over pro-Palestinian protests
UW-Madison is among 60 universities nationwide that received letters this week from President Donald Trump’s Department of Education warning of unspecified “potential enforcement action” if the administration determines they are not sufficiently combatting antisemitism on their campuses.
Gov. Tony Evers’ $4.1 billion capital budget would tear down UW-Madison’s Humanities, Green Bay prison
Gov. Tony Evers is recommending the state take a wrecking ball to numerous aging state facilities, including the Green Bay Correctional Institution and UW-Madison’s Mosse Humanities building, as part of his $4.1 billion capital spending plan.
Feds warn UW of “potential enforcement actions” over alleged antisemitism at campus protest
The federal Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is investigating the University of Wisconsin-Madison for antisemitism, according to a press release issued Monday.
UW is one of 60 institutions that received letters “warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus, including uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities,” according to the release.
UW-Madison researcher loses Fulbright award for climate change project
Four days before Rick Lindroth planned to leave Madison and fly to Argentina, he received an email saying his Fulbright award had been rescinded.
“That was a head spinner,” said Lindroth, a professor emeritus in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s entomology department.
Trump pulled $400 million from Columbia. UW-Madison is on list of schools that could be next
The University of Wisconsin-Madison was among a list of 60 schools the U.S. Department of Education warned Monday about a potential loss of federal funding if they fail to protect Jewish students.
Devesh Ranjan, new Grainger Dean of Engineering, talks research, inspirations
Devesh Ranjan, currently a chair and professor of mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech, will be returning to Wisconsin this summer as Grainger Dean of Engineering.
UW System leaders urge Congress to preserve federal research funding
Leaders from Wisconsin’s top universities, including University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman and UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, urged Congress to reverse federal research funding cuts at a press conference Wednesday at the UW-Madison’s Health Sciences Learning Center.
Democratic lawmakers introduce new bill to address gaps from federal funding freeze
Wisconsin receives roughly $654 million per year in National Institutes of Health grants, which supports more than 7,700 jobs and $1.4 billion in economic activity, according to United for Medical Research.
Without additional funds from elsewhere, UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said the capping of indirect costs would have a “ripple effect” on the state’s economy.
Universities of Wisconsin System president talks potential impact of NIH funding cuts
Thursday afternoon, University of Wisconsin staff and various members of the scientific community gathered to address concerns of cuts in medical research funding from the National Institutes of Health.
‘It’s gut-wrenching’: life-saving neurological research on line with NIH funding cuts, UW leaders say
Life-saving work in biomedical research is on the line, University of Wisconsin System and UW-Madison administrators said, if the National Institutes of Health makes cuts to its funding to the system.
“Taking a meat cleaver to this funding is simply wrong,” Universities of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman said Thursday.