Around 80 faculty members, researchers, graduate students and community members gathered at the Humanities Gateway to protest recent student visa revocations and the university’s response to federal funding cuts under the Trump administration on May 1.
The demonstration, organized by the Irvine Faculty Association and the University Council-American Federation of Teachers Local 1474, was part of a broader protest movement for May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, where workers advocate for labor rights and protections.
The demonstration began at the Humanities Gateway and concluded with a march to Langson Library. Protestors held signs reading “Hands off our students” and “Education not deportation,” referencing the approximately 50 students with visa revocations on UC campuses.
Vivianna Goh, research specialist for the UCI Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy, attended the protest after an email was sent out from the United Auto Workers Local 4811 representing UC academic workers. She said her international and undocumented students live and work in fear.
“Students don’t feel safe. Workers feel like funding can be cut at any moment,” Goh said in an interview with New University. “For everyone who hasn’t been affected, it’s always ‘yet.’ Yet is the main word, because we don’t know … Even if it’s not affecting you now, it could be you very soon.”
One cognitive sciences assistant professor, who requested anonymity for safety, said they had to cancel several international trips for conferences or professional development. As an immigrant, they feared that they might not be able to return to the country and have felt “directly threatened” by the federal changes.
“If I am deported, my entire lab, all the people that depend on me — that’s a group of people here at the university, who are graduate students, undergraduate students, postdocs, staff — they all don’t have a lab to work in anymore if I am arbitrarily denied a visa,” they said.
Despite the Trump administration reversing international students’ Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records on April 25, the administration plans to develop a framework for eventual SEVIS terminations.
On April 6, the Council of UC Faculty Associations wrote a letter to UC President Michael Drake and other academic officials, demanding that the University of California address the visa revocations. They asked for guaranteed legal support, continued enrollment and the opportunity to work remotely for those affected. They also called on the UC to seek action in federal courts against the revocations without communication or due process.
Drake responded with a statement on April 8 that said the government had not coordinated with the UC on these decisions, and they were not aware of any federal law enforcement present on campuses.
“We continue to actively support our international students and faculty. Our chancellors and other campus leaders are closely monitoring the recent visa terminations and assessing the implications for the UC community and other people affected,” the statement read.
Maria Rebolleda-Gomez, UCI assistant professor for the department of ecology and evolutionary biology, addressed the crowd about the uncertainty felt by faculty and students.
“Our international students are afraid to speak up, and the administration of this university has not been a great example of how to protect their students,” Rebolleda-Gomez said. “The federal budget is looking bleak in terms of funding for science, education and health care.”
The crowd echoed her concerns, chanting “When they say cut back, we say fight back” in response to ongoing federal funding cuts to scientific research. Tiara Na’puti, professor of global and international studies, told the crowd she has heard from researchers and postdocs about the effects on their labs.
“[There are] cuts already made that halt important research, cuts that jeopardize our students and cuts that make it difficult for us to sustain the good work and key projects that are needed,” Na’puti said.
Tia Chung-Swanson, a graduate student in the earth system science department, described the negative effects of the CLIMATE Justice Initiative program being cut on April 18. The initiative was funded by a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation.
“The statements we’ve gotten from UC administrators are just ‘yeah, we’re just seeing what’s happening,’ or ‘you’ll just have to wait and see,’ or ‘maybe if you get a grant cut you’ll come to a meeting,’ but there’s no action being taken,” Chung-Swanson told New University.
The protest at UCI was one of many held across the country on May Day, as educators and academic workers continue to demand greater protections for international students and research funding.
Emilie Takahashi is a 2024-2025 Layout Editor. She can be reached at takahae1@uci.edu.