The Politics of Higher Education Immigration: Examining Advocacy Efforts Using a Narrative Policy Framework

• In Event: Advancing Higher Education Policy Frameworks

Abstract

In July 2020, the Trump Administration implemented a directive to deport international students if they enrolled in online classes in fall 2020, despite rising Covid-19 deaths, which threatened higher education enrollment and revenue. This study examines how higher education groups mobilized to overturn these directives. A narrative policy framework was used to investigate how narratives shape advocacy efforts in the policy process, and drew on a content analysis of 20 publicly available policy documents. The findings shed light on how policy narrative elements are constructed to influence policy outcomes. This study advances understanding of the interplay between U.S. immigration policy processes, international students, and higher education institutions in testing the power of narratives to facilitate activism.

Author

• Anita Gopal, American University
  Presenting Author