The DC Digest

Duke Government Relations

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

Senate Advances Minibus
Education Department to Send Higher Education Staff to Labor Department
State Department Pauses Processing of Immigrant Visas from 75 Countries
Trump Administration Has Revoked More than 8K Student Visas
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The Highlights 📰

Budget & Appropriations

The latest coverage on Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations that are relevant to Duke.

Duke Government Relations' primer on the federal appropriations process.

SENATE PASSES MINIBUS

The Senate on Thursday approved a three‑bill minibus in a bipartisan 82-15 vote, funding the Commerce, Justice, Energy and Interior departments through September. The move brings Congress halfway through its government funding work ahead of the January 30 deadline. Earlier in the week, the House passed a separate two‑bill package covering the State and Treasury departments. The Senate has now recessed for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and will return next week. The House is expected to take up its remaining funding measures in the coming days before beginning its own recess at the end of the month.

Appropriations Update

Student Aid, Institutional Support and Taxes

The latest updates regarding legislation and regulatory actions related to student aid, higher education institutional support, taxes and more.

NASFAA Student Aid Reference Desk

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO SEND HIGHER EDUCATION STAFF TO LABOR

The Department of Education announced yesterday that staff from its Higher Education Programs division will be temporarily assigned to the Labor Department to support the transition of federally funded postsecondary programs into Labor’s grants and payment systems. The shift follows a similar move last year involving career and technical education programs and is part of a broader effort to align postsecondary education with workforce development functions. Department officials said they will provide additional guidance to grantees as responsibilities shift.

Department Moves

Immigration

The latest updates on legislation and regulatory actions related to immigration that are relevant to Duke.

STATE DEPARTMENT PAUSES PROCESSING IMMIGRANT VISAS FROM 75 COUNTRIES

This week, the State Department announced that beginning January 21, it will pause issuing immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries that it identifies as “at high risk of public benefits usage.” During this pause, the agency will conduct “a full review of all policies, regulations, and guidance to ensure that immigrants from these high‑risk countries do not utilize welfare in the United States or become a public charge.” The action applies only to immigrant visas and does not affect nonimmigrant categories such as tourist, student, exchange visitor or employment‑based visas. The department also noted that 23 of the affected countries are already covered by the existing travel ban. For additional updates from Duke Visa Services, click here.

Visa Update

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS REVOKED MORE THAN 8K STUDENT VISAS

The State Department reported this week that it has revoked 8,000 student visas and a total of 100,000 nonimmigrant visas since the start of President Trump’s second term. According to reporting from Inside Higher Ed, officials said many of the revoked student and worker visas were tied to criminal activity, including alcohol‑related offenses. Institutions also reported unexpected SEVIS terminations earlier in the year, some involving students who were not accused of wrongdoing, though those terminations were later reversed.

Student Visas

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Government Relations Resources

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