There is fear and uncertainty across many US college campuses ahead of president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next month.
Some schools have advised international students to return to campus early amid fears of another travel ban like the one Trump enacted during his first term as president.
Such bans could affect a large proportion of the more than 1.1 million international students who enrolled in US colleges and universities during the 2023-24 academic year.
The president-elect has pledged to adopt hardline immigration policies upon his return to the White House.
This includes 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’.
‘It’s a scary time for international students,’ Indian student Pramath Pratap Misra, 23, told CNN.
Cornell University’s Office of Global Learning has advised students who are traveling abroad to return before January 21 – the day after Trump is inaugurated.
‘A travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after inauguration,’ the university warned students in November.
‘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.’
At the University of Southern California, administrators urged foreign students to return one week before Trump’s inauguration.
‘While there’s no certainty 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,’ said the USC Office of International Service, according to reports.
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