December 27th 2024.
As the day of his inauguration draws near, President-elect Donald Trump has made it clear that he intends to take a strong stance on immigration. This has caused a sense of fear and uncertainty to spread among college campuses across the United States.
Many schools have already begun advising their international students to return to campus earlier than planned, in anticipation of potential travel bans similar to the one Trump implemented during his first term as president. This could affect a significant number of students, as over 1.1 million international students enrolled in US colleges and universities in the 2023-2024 academic year.
Trump has repeatedly promised to adopt strict immigration policies upon his return to the White House. This includes expanding his previous travel ban, which targeted individuals from predominantly Muslim countries, as well as revoking the visas of those deemed "radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners."
This news has left many international students feeling anxious and concerned. "It's a scary time for international students," shared 23-year-old Indian student Pramath Pratap Misra in an interview with CNN.
In response to these fears, Cornell University's Office of Global Learning has advised students who are currently abroad to return before January 21, the day after Trump's inauguration. There are concerns that Trump may reinstate the controversial travel bans that he attempted to introduce during his first term in office.
"The ban is likely to include citizens of the countries targeted in the first Trump administration," warned the university in November. This list includes Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Myanmar, Sudan, Tanzania, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, and Somalia, with the possibility of new countries, such as China and India, being added.
Meanwhile, at the University of Southern California, administrators have urged foreign students to return to the US at least one week before Trump's inauguration. "While there's no certainty that such orders will be issued, the safest way to avoid any challenges is to be physically present in the US before the Spring semester begins on January 13, 2025," advised the USC Office of International Service, according to reports.
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