US Universities Warn Foreign Students on Trump’s Policy
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January, US universities have begun issuing urgent advisories to their international students and staff, urging them to return to campus before his inauguration. The warnings come amid rising concerns over Trump’s hardline immigration policies, which include the largest deportation operation in US history.
Trump’s promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, including those without legal status in the country, has sent shockwaves through the international student community. “All international students are worried right now,” said Professor Chloe East from the University of Colorado Denver. “Students are incredibly overwhelmed and stressed out right now as a result of the uncertainty around immigration,” East added, highlighting the anxiety felt by students regarding their visas and the future of their education.
More than 400,000 undocumented students are currently enrolled in US higher education, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal. The incoming administration has indicated that it will prioritise deporting violent criminals and national security threats. However, these assurances have done little to quell concerns about the potential effects on foreign students. Trump’s incoming border czar, Tom Homan, has suggested that the US military could be used to assist in deportations, a move that has heightened fears among the student body.
In response, numerous universities have issued travel advisories. The University of Massachusetts, for example, advised its international students and faculty to return to campus before Trump assumes office on January 20. “Based on previous experience with travel bans that were enacted in the first Trump Administration in 2016, the Office of Global Affairs is making this advisory out of an abundance of caution,” the university stated. The advisory echoes concerns about possible restrictions on travel, similar to the Muslim-majority country travel bans Trump enacted during his first presidency.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Wesleyan University have also followed suit, urging students and staff to return to the US before inauguration day. At Yale University, the Office of International Students and Scholars held a webinar addressing concerns about the future of immigration policies.
The uncertainty is especially acute for students protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. Trump has repeatedly attempted to dismantle the Obama-era programme, which shields over half a million young immigrants who came to the US as children from deportation.
The climate of uncertainty has even reached students from countries like China, who are concerned about how US-China relations might evolve under Trump’s administration. “There is a lot of uncertainty,” said Professor East. “Students are worried about their future and whether they’ll be allowed to continue their education in the US.”
Aoi Maeda, an international student from Japan at Earlham College in Indiana, expressed concerns about her academic future. “I am planning to graduate in May 2026, but now that the administration is going to be a little bit more dangerous, I’m less hopeful about things going well,” Maeda said. She continued, “I feel like us international students with a visa might get affected, and it’ll become easier to deport us.”
As Trump prepares to take office, universities across the US are scrambling to reassure their international communities while navigating the complex and uncertain landscape of immigration law. Fagbemi Calls for Comprehensive Review of Nigeria’s Laws
