Gerhard Apfelthaler and Loredana Carson, Your Turn Published 5:09 p.m. PT July 25, 2020

Out of the blue on July 6, the Department of Homeland Security informed more than 1 million international students in the U.S. that their student visas wouldexpire if theywere not able totake in-person classes in the fall. At the same time,many universities were pulling back in-person class offerings as the number of active COVID-19 cases continued to rise at an alarming rate.

Thankfully, on July 14, DHS retracted this decisionafter awave of lawsuits filed against the department on behalf of multiple institutions of higher education including Harvard, MIT, the UC system and at least 179 other schools that joined together to protest the plan. It isnt often thatso manycolleges and universities agree on a single approach,sosuchunification is worth noting.To understandwhy they moved so fast and so furiously to get this regulation overturned, it isimportant to understand the role of the international student populationinthe higher education landscape.

In addition to providing domestic students with a global learning experience, international studentscontributetremendouseconomicvalue to every sector of the U.S.economy.The Institute of International Educationplaces the contributionat$45billion annually.Education isour countrysfourth largest service sector export, and international students are responsible foran estimated500,000 American jobs. Most arehigh-paying jobs thataredesperately neededbecausetheunemployment ratenowexceedsGreat Recessionlevels.

In California,160,000international studentscontributeabout $7billionto the economyannually, supporting more than 74,000 jobs.Inthe Greater Los Angelesregion,there aretens ofthousands of international students.If these students had been forced toreturn to their home countries,the result would have beenvisible in theimmediate negative economic effects.

TherecentDHSturmoilonly added to a series of actions that havecreatedlong-term damage toourreputationas a country where futures can be built.Travelbans,visa restrictions, the suspension of H-1B visasandthe threat of not allowing international students to gain experience in Optional Practical Trainingpositions have allcreatedan overwhelming negative national message that international students are not welcome in the U.S.This is despite the fact thattheir presence enhances our campus communities and supportscompanies throughout the country, especially in Californias high-tech sector. International graduates with highly specialized degrees in many areas are desperately needed in the U.S, which doesnt graduate enough domestic students inscience,technology,engineering andmathematics.

Whilemany highlyqualifiedinternational students return to their home countries after graduation,othersstay and support the U.S. economyat the local, regional and national levels.According to studies based on U.S.Census data, immigrantsaretwice as likely to start new businesses than people born in the U.S., andthey account for more than 40% of new businessesin states such as California, New York and New Jersey.

Other countries are much more intentional in their messaging to their international student population,and the competition over international students has greatly intensified. The U.S. market share of global enrollment dropped from roughly 30% in 2010 to about 20% in 2019. This drop has accelerated since 2016 due in part to tighter immigration practices and the federal governments constant negative rhetoric regarding international students. The U.S has become a less attractive destination for international students, while other countries such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom have succeeded in attracting more of them.

If there is any good to have come from this debacle, perhaps the conversationcan continue,and the higher education community can remain united in framingthe role of the international students as positive and valued instead of something to dismiss at a moments notice. Clearly, they do matter, and their presence is welcome. Its time for the national rhetoric to become more inclusive and less divisive on this important issue.

Gerhard Apfelthaler isprofessor anddean andLoredana Carsonis alecturerat the School of Management at California Lutheran University.

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Guest column: The U.S. war on international students needs to end - VC Star