Why US universities want foreign students to return before January
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January, United States universities have sent out emails to international students and staff, advising them to return to campus before that. The advisory comes amid fears over Trump's proposed immigration policies, including mass deportations. The University of Massachusetts was one of the first institutions issuing such an advisory in November, urging international students and faculty members to return from winter break before Trump's inauguration on January 20.
International students express concern over immigration policies
The advisory was issued "out of an abundance of caution," citing past travel bans imposed during Trump's first administration in 2016. Other institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Wesleyan University have also issued similar advisories. Professor Chloe East from the University of Colorado Denver said all international students are currently worried amid uncertainties over possible changes to visa statuses and their ability to continue education in the US.
Over 400,000 undocumented students face deportation fears
According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, over 400,000 undocumented students are enrolled in US colleges/universities. In the 2023-2024 academic year, India overtook China as the top source of international students in the US with a 23% enrollment increase. During his first week in the White House in 2017, Trump signed an executive order prohibiting citizens of many countries, including North Korea and Venezuela, from visiting the US. He had also advocated some restrictions on student visas.
Trump's pick for border czar issues warning for foreign nationals
And now, reigniting the fears of mass deportation, Trump's pick for border czar, Tom Homan, issued a warning for foreign nationals, stating, "If you're in the country illegally and you got an order for removal, or even if you don't have one, if you're in the country, leave on your own." "Because when you leave on your own, there's no penalties. But if we actually have to deport you with a formal order for deportation, there's a 20-year ban."
DACA students also affected by immigration policy uncertainties
The uncertainty of Trump's proposed immigration policies doesn't just impact undocumented students, but those protected under programs such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA allows young immigrants who grew up in the US to seek temporary protection from deportation and to have the ability to work. Trump had previously tried to end this Obama-era program, which protects those brought to the US as children from deportation.
