Indiana Daily Student

Page 1

IDS Thursday, July 21, 2022

Indiana Daily Student | idsnews.com

'Where the Crawdads Sing', p. 6

'Jumping through hoops':

IU student visa holders express frustration and fear about their futures

Lake Monroe beaches report blue-green algae By Meghana Rachamadugu megracha@iu.edu

On July 15, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources reported seeing blue-green algae in Lake Monroe areas near Fairfax and Paynetown state recreation areas. Blue-green algae is often visible on the surface of the water in a large layer of its own. However, it can appear reddish-purple or brown and can sometimes occur beneath the surface, where it isn’t visible. In its advisory alert, the DNR said algae levels can be higher in the summer, but it’s important for people to avoid direct contact with the algae and swallowing any of the wa-

ter.

At this time, the DNR allows boating and swimming but alerts pet owners to avoid putting pets in water or allowing them to drink algae-filled lake water. According to a HeraldTimes article, “exposure to blue-green algae can cause rashes, irritation of the skin and eyes, nausea, stomachaches and tingling in fingers and toes.” The publication also said that the algae produce toxins that can cause beaches in state areas to close if produced at high enough levels. If any person is in contact with the water, they should bathe or shower with warm and soapy water, the alert said.

COURTESY PHOTO

People take a selfie at a press conference in May 2022 in Washington, D.C., in support of the America's Children Act, a proposed piece of legislation to help keep children of long term visa holders from having to leave the United States after they lose their dependent status once they turn 21. Lay and Khushi Patel, two IU students, traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for students like them. By Christina Avery

averycm@iu.edu | @christym_avery

Lay and Khushi Patel grew up in America. They attended Lebanon Middle School and Lebanon Senior High School in Indiana. They’ve made friends here, become part of their community and now attend IU. But despite living most of their lives in the U.S., they could be forced to leave. The Patels are part of more than 200,000 “documented Dreamers” living in the states, children who enter the country on legal status with their parents who are long-term visa holders. There’s no clear path to citizenship for these documented Dreamers; when they turn 21, they “age out” of the system and can no longer be listed as dependents on their parents’ visa. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA), issued in 2012, protects people brought into the country as children by undocumented parents. DACA didn’t grant citizenship, but it did allow undocumented Dreamers a work permit and some protection from deportation. But because they have lawful status until 21, documented Dreamers were left out of this program. This leaves them with limited options to remain in legal status in the U.S. This forces them to transition to a new temporary visa or try to find a way to citizenship, options for which are limited. If they don’t, they must return to their home countries or risk remaining here on unlawful status. While they’re in the U.S., they also face obstacles like barriers to work authorization and limited eligibility for things like social security and financial

aid. The Patels have lived in America for more than a decade. For many people like them, their true home is where they are now, the place they’ve known since childhood. Going back to where they were born would mean uprooting the lives they’ve built. * * * The Patels came to the U.S. in 2012. Lay, now a senior at IU, was 12 years old; his younger sister Khushi, a rising sophomore, was just 8. They moved with their parents from Brampton, Ontario in Canada to Lebanon, Indiana, under a visa that allows them to live in the U.S. for their business. Although it was their first time living in the U.S., Lay said his childhood was spent trekking between Canada and the U.S. to visit family. Aside from a bit of culture shock, Lay said moving to the U.S. felt relatively normal. But even as a child, Patel said, he understood he wasn’t an American citizen. In high school, his friends would often ask him why he wasn’t a citizen. He would have to say there was no pathway for him. He remembers having questions about his future, too, but assumed the answers would eventually come. “I always thought, ‘What am I going to do?’" Lay said. "'Will I have to go back to Canada?' But I always thought, at the end of the day, I’ll be able to figure it out.” He remembers writing essays about the American Dream during sixth grade, back in Canada — “life, lib-

erty and the pursuit of happiness.” But Lay said he doesn’t feel so free when that freedom is in the hands of employers and immigration services. Most people assume that if you grow up in the U.S. legally, you are automatically eligible for a green card, Lay said. However, obtaining citizenship is a lengthy, complicated process with no clear path to follow and nothing guaranteed. It’s not as easy as simply “getting in line.” The transient status of his visa hit him hardest when he came to college, he said. His parents’ E-2 investor visas allowed them to live in the U.S. to operate the hotel business they'd purchased. It wasn't an immigrant visa or a green card, but it can be renewed indefinitely; he didn’t grow up worrying about his ability to stay. But as the end of his college career nears, he now worries about his future. Lay, who is studying economics and media, switched from his dependent visa to an F-1 student visa before coming to IU. A senior at IU, he’s taking an extra semester in the fall to retake classes he couldn’t finish due to a concussion last semester. F-1 student visas allow noncitizens to stay in the U.S. for the duration of their studies. Lay said maintaining F-1 legal status comes with requirements that are restrictive for many students like him. For example, under federal regulations, any jobs or internships he pursues while at IU first must be authorized by the Office of International Services. Those on F-1 visas are eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT), which allows them practical experience in their field of study during their time at

school. Lay said he’d like to pursue the IU Summer in Los Angeles or Washington, D.C. program. However, CPT work must be considered integral to a student’s studies to be approved. Neither of Lay' majors require an internship to graduate, he said, so his applications for CPT so far have been denied. F-1 visa students are also required to be on-campus for at least one course during their final semester. If a student does unauthorized work or violates certain rules, they are at risk of having their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record terminated, which in most cases means a student must make plans to leave the U.S. Hypothetically taking the internship, if OIS were to approve it, would interrupt Lay’s time on campus. Lay said this would mean he would have to take yet another semester in Bloomington after the internship in order to avoid having his SEVIS record terminated.

“If they terminate my SEVIS record, all the credit hours I’ve put into IU, everything I’ve done — it goes awash.” — Lay Patel

Although doing an internship now could jeopardize his status, he worries he won’t have enough work experience after he graduates. Statistics show internships boost college students’ chances of finding jobs and gaining experience. The Na-

IDS FILE PHOTO

Monroe Lake is seen April 17, 2022. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources reported seeing blue-green algae in Lake Monroe.

Former provost files complaint against Attorney General By Marissa Meador

marnmead@iu.edu | @marissa_meador

Lauren Robel, former IU provost, filed a complaint with the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission on Friday where she accused Attorney General Todd Rokita of recklessly making claims without evidence. Her letter refers to Rokita’s statements on Fox News and in a letter to the governor, where he said he would look into Dr. Caitlin Bernard’s licensure and whether or not she reported a 10-year-old rape victim’s abortion procedure in time. Robel, who left IU in 2021 after serving as provost, IU law school dean and executive vice president, wrote in her complaint that Rokita violated rule of law by targeting a private citizen with “factually baseless assaults against them.”

This is the first time Robel has sent a complaint to the disciplinary commission in her 40 years of being a lawyer, she told the Indianapolis Star. Although she supports abortion access, Robel said she was motivated by what she saw as a breach of ethics. A spokeswoman for Rokita told the Indianapolis Star that the Attorney General is allowed to file anything he wants and that the office is continuing its investigation into Dr. Caitlin Bernard. It’s uncommon for the disciplinary commission to investigate complaints, with only 9% of complaints receiving investigations from July 1, 2020, to June 20, 2021. If the commission agrees with Robel’s complaint, Rokita could have his law license suspended, although punishments range from a private admonition to disbarment.

SEE VISAS, PAGE 4

IU ATHLETICS

Big Ten awards 103 Indiana athletes By Emma Pawlitz

epawlitz@iu.edu | @emmapawlitz

The Big Ten Conference announced the winners of the Distinguished Scholar Award on Thursday, July 14, including 103 Indiana scholar-athletes. The award is given to students who are in at least their second year at their university and have recorded a minimum 3.7 GPA during the 2021-2022 school year.

"These students have shown the ability to not only manage the type of demands on their time that very few other students have, but to perform at the highest level academically while doing so,” IU Athletic Director Scott Dolson said in a release. “This marks the second straight year that we have had at least 100 of our students earn this special honor, which is a great source of pride for our department."

The list of honorees features athletes from 16 different programs. Women’s track and field led the way with 19 award winners. The men’s track and field, men’s and women’s soccer, rowing, and swimming and diving teams each had eight or more athletes honored. Earlier in the summer, 145 spring sport athletes received Academic All-Big Ten honors, bringing Indiana’s yearly total to 349 honorees

— a school record. The minimum required GPA for academic all-conference honors is a 3.0. Seven Hoosier athletes earned an unblemished 4.0 GPA. Those athletes included men’s tennis junior Jagger Saylor, track and field graduates Benjamin Veatch, Kelly Mindak and Maddy Pollard, and rowing athletes junior Sofia Sperduto and graduates Jayna Dolfi and Kalynn Scher.

COURTESY PHOTO

Former IU Provost Lauren Robel poses for a headshot. Robel filed a complaint with the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission on Friday.


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