(1/7) A word on how the "value" of international students is discussed under popular discourse. We are flaunted as diversity stats by university admissions committees, bringers of 2x in-state tuition, as taxpayers, skilled employees and employers of the future.

(2/7) While all these things sound good, and supposedly in favor of international students - THEY CAUSE HARM. When we are seen as commodities instead of humans, it leaves us open to being devalued. As merely a source of capital for the education industry -

(3/7) - our bodies might as well be replaced by bags of cash. Once this transformation from humans to cash is complete (as of right now), we are ready to be fully weaponized by ICE and DHS as financial leverage to blackmail entire industries (e.g. higher-ed)

(4/7) This discourse needs to shift. Intnl students are humans, not pawns, weapons or cash cows. We bring entire nations’ worth of knowledge and experience to share with the US. We come here not just to get a degree, but also build lasting connections with likeminded people.

(5/7) The current crisis has laid bare an underlying problem of international education. Is the objective here to provide an education, or is the objective to use international students as disposable sources of revenue?

(6/7) Quick workarounds to the latest ICE order, such as offering 1 credit in-person classes are good, but they do not address the underlying cause. ICE needs to be defunded and detached from the education system and the immigration system needs an overdue revamping.

(7/7) If they’re not letting a good crisis go to waste, why should we?