An international student from the University of California, San Diego, who had planned a trip to Hawaii with friends during summer break from a Ph.D. program, ultimately decided not to go. The student’s decision was influenced by a wave of legal status revocations affecting international students across the United States. Despite the trip being domestic, the perceived risks were too high.
“Any travel, even inside the U.S., just didn’t seem worth the risk,” the student said, speaking anonymously due to fear of becoming a target. “I probably am going to skip that to … have as few interactions with governments as possible.”
This sense of unease is not unique. International students nationwide are reconsidering travel plans to visit family, take vacations, or conduct research due to the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement, which has fostered an atmosphere of insecurity. The situation has become more alarming with the sudden revocation of legal status for many international students, prompting universities to advise extreme caution.
Even before these status terminations became widely known, some universities had already started urging students and faculty to delay travel. Their warnings referenced heightened efforts by the federal government to deport individuals involved in pro-Palestinian activism. But with hundreds of students now facing loss of legal status, many institutions have issued stronger guidance against non-essential travel, particularly international travel.
For instance, the University of California, Berkeley recently released an advisory noting that overseas trips posed a risk due to “strict vetting and enforcement.” This warning reflects the increasing complexity and unpredictability of immigration procedures for international students.
According to a review conducted by the Associated Press using university statements, official communications, and court records, at least 1,220 students across 187 higher education institutions have had their visas revoked or their legal status stripped since late March. However, that number may significantly underestimate the full impact. Based on an April 10 response from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Congressional inquiries, 4,736 international students had their visa records terminated in the federal database used to track their status.
This abrupt change has left many students in a precarious position. Some have chosen to leave the country voluntarily, while others have gone into hiding to avoid deportation. Many of these students insist they were unaware of any infractions or claim they had committed only minor violations, leaving them bewildered as to why their legal status was removed.
In some cases, federal judges have intervened, citing concerns about the students’ due process rights. These rulings prompted the U.S. government to reverse some terminations. However, rather than scaling back, immigration authorities issued new policies that expand the grounds on which a student’s legal status can be revoked.
Previously, international students could remain in the U.S. to complete their studies even if their visa was revoked, though they wouldn’t be allowed to reenter the country if they left. Under the new policy, the revocation of a visa alone is now sufficient cause for losing legal status—even without leaving the U.S.
This rapidly evolving legal environment has made it increasingly difficult for colleges to provide reliable guidance to their international students. A college employee in Michigan who assists international students with visa procedures reported a surge in questions about summer travel. “They are inquiring more than ever,” the employee said, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly. “But I often don’t have enough answers to give them.”
Last year, around 1.1 million international students were enrolled in U.S. institutions, providing a vital source of tuition revenue. Many education advocates worry that the ongoing immigration crackdown will damage the country’s appeal to these students, causing a long-term decline in enrollment.
Rishi Oza, an immigration lawyer in North Carolina, said his law firm has been inundated with inquiries regarding travel risks. “Over the past few weeks, we’ve received calls almost daily from people of various immigration statuses, including international students,” Oza said.
“You kind of shake your head and say, ‘Is this the character of the country we want?’” he added. “It just seems that it’s a bit out of whack that people are fearful of leaving and whether they’ll be able to come back.”
Oza advises students with visas to critically assess whether travel is essential. If they must travel, he recommends carrying comprehensive documentation—including immigration papers, academic transcripts, and court records if applicable—when trying to reenter the U.S. However, he cautioned that even the best preparation doesn’t guarantee smooth reentry. “Ultimately, lawyers can’t foretell what will happen at the airport,” he noted.
This unpredictability has left students like one at the University of Illinois feeling overwhelmed. The student, also requesting anonymity, has kept a low profile after a classmate lost their legal status and had to leave the country.
The student plans to return home to Asia during the summer but is deeply anxious about what might happen upon his return. With no place else to stay in the U.S., he has already purchased his ticket and is committed to the trip. Yet, his apprehension about reentry remains strong.
“Right now,” he said, “I’m afraid I might not be able to come back.”
This growing unease among international students represents a broader fear that the U.S. is becoming less hospitable to global academic talent. The legal ambiguity and frequent policy shifts have created an environment where students are unsure if studying in the U.S. is worth the stress and risk.
With legal status increasingly fragile and the threat of sudden deportation looming, students are forced to weigh whether their dreams of an American education are compatible with a system that could strip them of everything for reasons they may not fully understand.
Christopher L. Keller of the Associated Press contributed reporting from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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