March 9, 2026 | 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET

Executive Branch Updates: Immigration and International Recruitment Developments

The Trump administration has continued to focus on immigration policy, visa and entry regulations, and international students, faculty, and researchers in its second year. Highly visible immigration enforcement action by federal law enforcement agents has sparked uncertainty and questions across the spectrum of stakeholders at colleges and universities. The government’s stance on the presence of foreign citizens at American institutions of higher education remains a live and evolving issue.  In addition, litigation continues to wind its way through the courts, and states are starting to impose their own requirements on the conduct of federal immigration authorities within their borders. Against this backdrop, higher education lawyers must stay current on near-daily developments across these complex set of laws, regulations, federal agencies, and associated political factors to provide sound ongoing counsel. 

Please join us for a 30-minute audio-only briefing during which NACUA member-experts, Leigh Cole and Xinning Shirley Liu, will provide an overview of the latest immigration-related developments impacting higher education and will highlight leading practical considerations to help you advise clients in this complex environment. 

Note: This program is part of NACUA's "Executive Branch Updates" series, which follows the Transition Updates: The First 100 Days series.   

Speaker(s)

Leigh Cole

Leigh ColeLeigh Cole is a Shareholder & Director at Dinse PC, a law firm in Burlington, VT. She also serves as Immigration Counsel at Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP, a California employment law firm. Leigh advises education clients regarding immigration compliance, including I-9 compliance, ICE response, employment-based visas, student and...

Xinning "Shirley" Liu

Shirley LiuXinning Shirley Liu is the President of XL Law and Consulting P.A., where she concentrates her practice on higher education and international law. She regularly advises higher education institutions on operating educational activities in China. Shirley has experience implementing a wide array of international programs and...

Recording

The MP3 recording is a complete recording of the briefing call and can be accessed free-of-charge for NACUA members shortly after ...

FAQ

A NACUA Briefing is a service offering timely education on breaking legal developments. Briefings are short, audio-only presentations that are ...

NACUA Briefings

NACUA Briefings are intended for NACUA members only and for their colleagues at member institutions. Members may freely...

NACUA Briefings are intended for NACUA members only and for their colleagues at member institutions. Members may freely share information included as part of a Briefing with their colleagues at member institutions but should not share the information in a manner that could result in broader public distribution. Briefings should not be considered to be or used as legal advice. Legal questions should be directed to institutional legal counsel.