A number of prominent US universities are commending their international students to return to campus before to Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20. This action corresponds with worries about possible modifications to travel restrictions and immigration laws that could impact overseas students. International students have received advisories from a number of universities, including Wesleyan University, Yale University, MIT, and the University of Massachusetts. To prevent possible delays to their studies, these universities are warning students to return to the United States by January 20.
Based on past experiences with travel bans implemented during Trump’s first term, the advisories have been issued. Trump signed an executive order in 2017 that prohibited visitors and citizens of seven countries with a majority of Muslims from entering the United States for ninety days. In the United States, there are about 1.1 million international students, with 330,000 from India being the largest. More than 400,000 illegal students are enrolled in US higher education at the moment, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal.
Undocumented students worry about their future, while students with appropriate F-Visas, such as those from India, are unlikely to be affected by any visa ban. International students are uneasy about Trump’s promises to implement the biggest deportation operation in US history and his prior attempts to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
To support its overseas students, universities are acting proactively. For example, Yale University hosted a virtual meeting to address students’ worries about possible changes to immigration laws. Mentioning past experiences with travel bans, the University of Massachusetts has advised overseas students to return to the United States by January 20.
International students are encouraged to keep up with any changes to travel restrictions and immigration laws as the inauguration date draws near. During this uncertain period, universities will continue to offer their international students support and guidance.
