Immigration and free speech laws are increasingly intertwined, advocate for Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) Dominic Coletti told a room of student journalists during his “Immigration 101” panel at MediaFest 25.
Coletti, program officer for FIRE’s Student Press Freedom Initiative, said that while immigration statutes rarely change, “the practical considerations are evolving very quickly,” especially on college campuses where visa concerns now overlap with reporting and academic freedom.
“Immigration has gone from a niche beat to something every journalist should understand,” Coletti said. “It affects every community — schools, workplaces and local governments.”
He explained the distinction between visas and legal status, noting that a visa allows entry into the U.S. while legal status grants permission to remain.
“You can lose one without losing the other,” Coletti said, adding that government officials have broad discretion to revoke visas, sometimes without a clear explanation.
These issues, Coletti warned, can extend to political speech. He cited recent cases in which international students Mahmoud Khalil’s and Rümeysa Öztürk had their visas revoked after participating in peaceful protests or writing political commentary.
“We’re seeing revocations that appear tied to expression, not lawbreaking,” he said. “That’s a serious First Amendment concern.”
Coletti emphasized that the First Amendment protects noncitizens in the U.S., including students and visitors.Still, he acknowledged that legal protections don’t always prevent retaliation.
“We’ve had student journalists call FIRE asking if they should remove bylines or delete articles out of fear,” Coletti said. “That chilling effect is real — and it’s devastating for campus journalism.”
One student from the University of Kentucky, Hannah Piedad, asked Coletti what protections they can offer to immigrant students when talking to them as a source.
Student journalists should o establish clear internal policies for working with immigrants, Coletti encouraged, including offering anonymity, background sourcing or resisting subpoenas when appropriate.
“Have those conversations before a crisis hits,” he said. “It’s much easier to protect someone when you already know where your lines are.”
Sources aren’t alone in this. Coletti urged journalists to stay informed and vigilant when covering immigration.
He also warned that universities themselves have faced scrutiny over their visa programs, Student Exchange and Visitor Program, sometimes under what he described as “political pressure disguised as compliance.”
“We’re seeing now are schools that are very well endowed, like Harvard, facing the same consequences, which, of course, makes you scratch your head, right?” Coletti asked. “They’re clearly qualified for the program.”
Tagged under: SPJ, mediafest25