Wheaton College held a professional development session for its staff and key campus partners on March 28 to explain federal immigration policy changes and how they may be affecting students.
Danny Carroll, Scripture Press Ministries professor of biblical studies and pedagogy, shared a theological perspective on immigrants and refugees. World Relief’s vice president of advocacy and policy, Matthew Soerens ‘06, provided updates on actions in Washington, D.C., and their potential influence on the college Student Development office’s work.
“Many Wheaton students probably don’t realize that this issue impacts people whom they might know personally, whether on campus or in their churches back home,” Soerens said in an email interview. “It absolutely impacts a large share of the body of Christ in the United States.”
Under a Biden-era executive order, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers could not engage anyone on college campuses and other “sensitive areas,” like schools and churches. Since Jan. 20, 2025, when this executive order was revoked by the new administration, school districts and campuses across the country have been reassessing their policies regarding external enforcement agencies. At Wheaton, a collaboration of offices led by Student Development came together to organize this continuing education session.
Wheaton Policies on Interactions with External Enforcement Agencies
As of now, there have not been any ICE raids on schools or college campuses since the policy was changed on Jan. 20, 2025. However, Soerens said there is still “a much greater risk of ICE seeking to carry out immigration enforcement at these locations.” A January article from Christianity Today reported that some churches have already been affected, and Soerens said that “immigrants and their U.S. citizen family members are fearful of attending church,” which could affect immigrant students as well.
Paul Chelsen, vice president of Student Development, confirmed in an email to the Record that campus housing locations are still not accessible to any external enforcement agencies without a federal warrant signed by a judge, as they are private property and locked at all times. Other places on campus that are considered private are chapel worship times, classes, meetings and offices where employees are working.
In an email on Feb. 11, Chelsen referred students to the FERPA Annual Notification of Rights, which explains that students have the right to provide written consent before their personally identifiable information is disclosed, except in cases where FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
The college policy requiring a formal court order provides a high barrier to access for any agency other than Wheaton College Public Safety to interfere with campus life. Many other campuses and school districts across the country are changing their policy to reflect the same one that Wheaton already held before changes to ICE policies were implemented or considered in recent public discourse.
International Students on F-1 Student Visas
F-1 visas are for people requesting to live in the US to pursue a full course of study at an accredited college, university or other academic institution, including language training programs. This particular visa allows enrolled students to work on their college campuses and in jobs or internships directly related to their major.
In the past week alone, more than 790 international students from over 150 colleges have had their F-1 visas revoked, including other campuses in the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. No Wheaton students have had their visas revoked at this time.
However, changes at the federal level have weighed particularly on the minds of students who are legally working and studying under F-1 Student Visas, especially those with connections to locations of greater diplomatic concern like Ukraine, Israel-Palestine or China. Jerry Woehr, director of international student programs, said that such students have expressed concerns about how new diplomatic policies may compromise their churches and communities abroad, asking questions like: “What does that look like for the safety of my parents, the school that I went to, the churches that I belong to and the people that my family serves?”
Despite recent enforcement crackdowns, Woehr said it is unlikely that visa requirements themselves will change, but the International Student Programs Office will provide regular email updates with any new information they receive.
During states of emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic, the first Trump administration implemented travel bans and changes to F-1 Visa Students’ ability to enter and exit the country. Concerns that a second Trump administration will continue those policies and that funding cuts to consular offices will slow visa processing times all contribute to a general “fear and heaviness that students are carrying,” Woehr said.
Woehr was thankful that he works at a school where the administration has been quick to support its international students and relevant programs, especially because he did not hear the same from everyone in his position at other universities. Woehr said that his office and the greater Wheaton administration do not want students concerned about visa or immigration status to “feel alone in it, but know that Wheaton is in their corner, and here to help carry that burden.”
Resources
Students who are curious about how to care well for their international student peers and family members, or those with concerns about their status or a loved one, are encouraged to reach out to Woehr, Immigration Advisor Corrie Johnson, Director of Graduate Student Life Cheryl Margason or any of the faculty and staff that received training on March 28.
World Relief Chicagoland’s legal services team of attorneys and Department of Justice-accredited legal representatives can provide in-person consultations in their Carol Stream office by calling (630) 462-7660. For those with brief questions, they can call 630-580-0022 on Tuesday afternoons between 1 and 5 PM CT or view World Relief’s answers to common questions.
The local organization also has an open letter for anyone who shares the perspective on how to care for immigrants as a Christian and for those looking for more advocacy tools.
