Reading Peng Ming-min’s ‘A Taste of Freedom’ in a time of fear

One afternoon in April, I was greeted by a sign declaring that my usual coworking space in the University of Michigan School of Information was now “LIMITED ACCESS–UMSI faculty, staff and PhD students (only).” Though I was puzzled at first by the sign, a colleague soon clarified that it was an attempt to protect us in light of recent actions against international students nationwide. From mass revocation of international students’ visas to high-profile cases — such as that of graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk — of students being snatched off the street and put into detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the recent attempt by President Donald Trump’s administration to prevent Harvard from enrolling international students , the position of international student