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US universities advise international students to return early from winter break due to potential travel bans under Trump’s hardline immigration policies.
US universities are asking international students to come back early from winter break over concerns of possible travel bans under Trump’s immigration policies.(Representative Image: Getty)
Universities in the United States of America are advising international students to return early from winter break as they fear a travel ban on Donald Trump’s return to the office. Trump has pledged hardline immigration policies including an expansion of his previous travel ban on people from predominantly Muslim countries and the revocation of student visas of “radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners” upon his return to the White House
According to the CNN report, over 1.1 million international students enrolled in US colleges and universities during the 2023-24 academic year. New York University had the most international students in the US – more than 27,000 – during the last academic year.
Trump To Target Indian Students Too?
Although students from India and China are not part of the initial list of countries targeted by Trump’s crackdown, universities are staying vigilant. The circulars caution that students from these countries may also face restrictions in the future. “New countries could be added to this list, particularly China and India,” read the circular from Cornell University.
International students generally have nonimmigrant visas that allow them to study in the US but don’t provide a legal pathway to stay in the country.
Across campuses from New York to California, students not only focused on final exams before winter break but also prepared for potential disruptions to their lives and the uncertainty of being unable to finish their studies. Some universities have advised students to postpone or shorten their travel plans outside the US ahead of Donald Trump’s swearing-in on January 20.
“It’s a scary time for international students,” said Pramath Pratap Misra, 23, a student from India who graduated from NYU this year with a bachelor’s degree in political science told CNN.
Cornell University’s Office of Global Learning advised students who are travelling abroad to return before the January 21 start of the spring semester or to “communicate with an advisor about your travel plans and be prepared for delays,” reported CNN.
“A travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after inauguration,” the university warned students late last month. “The ban is likely to include citizens of the countries targeted in the first Trump administration: Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Myanmar, Sudan, Tanzania, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, and Somalia. New countries could be added to this list, particularly China and India.”
Following the protests that erupted On US college campuses after the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, Trump in his election campaign said that on his return to power he would revoke the student visas and deport “radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners” enrolled in universities. He criticized pro-Palestinian protests and said he would send Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to what he called “pro-jihadist demonstrations.”
Trump also vowed to reinstate and expand his previous travel ban on people from predominantly Muslim countries – which limited travellers from Iran, Libya, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. The administration later extended the travel ban to include several African countries. President Joe Biden revoked the travel ban after he took office in 2021.
Trump’s Promise of Green Card To ‘Most Skilled Graduates’
Though Trump has announced several hardline majors against international students, however, he also promised to “automatically” grant green cards to foreign nationals who graduate from US universities.
However, shortly after Trump made this promise in June, a campaign spokesperson clarified that the group eligible for green cards would be restricted to the “most skilled graduates” and subject to screening to “exclude all communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters, and public charges.” Since June, Trump has not publicly addressed this proposal, and it remains unclear how his new administration will handle the matter.
