As President-elect Donald Trump’s January 20 inauguration approaches, anxiety and uncertainty are growing across US college campuses. Many universities have urged international students to return early from winter break, fearing a repeat of the previous travel ban that left students stranded during Trump’s earlier term.
The United States, which hosted over 1.1 million international students in the 2023-24 academic year, could see renewed challenges for these students. Trump has promised stricter immigration measures, including an expanded travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries and plans to revoke visas for students deemed “radical anti-American and antisemitic.”
International students, who typically hold nonimmigrant visas allowing them to study but not reside permanently in the US, find themselves in a precarious position. “It’s a scary time for international students,” remarked Pramath Pratap Misra, a 23-year-old political science graduate from New York University (NYU). NYU had the nation’s largest population of international students last year, with over 27,000 enrolled.
Amid final exams and winter travel plans, students across the country are preparing for potential disruptions. Universities have cautioned against leaving the US before the inauguration, fearing new restrictions.
Cornell University’s Office of Global Learning has advised students to return before January 21, when spring classes begin. The office warned that “a travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after inauguration,” possibly affecting citizens from countries previously included in Trump’s first ban—such as Iran, Libya, and Syria—as well as potentially adding nations like China and India.
Similarly, the University of Southern California (USC), which has the highest number of international students in California, encouraged students to arrive by January 6. In an email, the USC Office of International Service said, “The safest way to avoid any challenges is to be physically present in the U.S. before the Spring semester begins.”
Trump’s proposed “mass deportations” have further amplified concerns, not just for workers in industries like agriculture and healthcare but also for students. While Trump has also suggested granting green cards to international graduates of US colleges, his campaign clarified that only “the most skilled graduates” would qualify. These individuals would undergo strict screenings to exclude “communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters, and public charges.”
For students like Gabrielle Balreira Fontenelle Mota, a 21-year-old Brazilian studying journalism and international relations at NYU, the uncertainty is unsettling. “I’m not from a Muslim country or from China, which are places that Trump usually criticizes,” she explained. “What makes me a little bit more concerned is the ideological screenings that he said he will be implementing.”
In response, NYU reassured its international community, emphasizing the importance of cross-border student mobility. “We will be monitoring any immigration-related proposals, laws, and actions that could be of concern to our community,” the university stated in a post-election email.
Other universities have also taken proactive measures. The University of Massachusetts Amherst has urged international students to return before the new administration takes office, citing “an abundance of caution.” The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) advised against relying on social media rumors when making travel decisions.
Meanwhile, Northeastern University, which has the second-largest international student body after NYU, suggested students return by January 6 to avoid disruptions. Harvard University echoed similar advice, urging students to budget time ahead of the semester start to mitigate risks.
For some, the looming challenges recall Trump’s first term, marked by efforts to restrict immigration across various categories. “The best way to anticipate or predict what will happen in the second Trump administration is to look at what happened in the first administration,” noted Stuart Anderson, executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy.
As universities brace for potential policy shifts, the fear of restrictive immigration measures weighs heavily on students and faculty alike, casting a shadow over the upcoming semester.
