CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A growing number of U.S. colleges and universities are advising international students to return to campus before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, amid concerns that he could impose travel bans as he did during his first administration.
More than a dozen schools have issued advisories, even as Trump’s plans remain uncertain. At some schools, the spring semester starts before Trump takes office, so students may still have to return to class. But for anyone whose ability to stay in the United States depends on an academic visa, they say it’s best to reduce their risks and return to campus before Jan. 20.
Here’s a look at what Trump has said and done and how schools and students are preparing for his second term:
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What has Trump done in the past?
Trump issued an executive order in January 2017 banning travel to the US for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. Travelers from those countries were not allowed to board their flights or were detained at U.S. airports after landing. They included students and teachers, but also business people, tourists and visitors from friends and family.
Trump later removed some countries and added others to the list – fifteen countries were affected at some point during his presidency. According to the US State Department, more than 40,000 people were ultimately denied visas because of the ban. President Joe Biden rescinded the orders when he took office in 2021.
How are students affected?
More than 1.1 million international students were enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities in the 2023-2024 school year, according to Open Doors, a data project funded in part by the U.S. Department of State. Students from India and China account for more than half of all international students in the U.S., and about 43,800 come from the 15 countries affected by Trump’s travel restrictions.
Jacky Li, a third-year environmental science major at the University of California, Berkeley, will travel to China on December 21 and return on January 16. Although he made his plans months before Berkeley officials sent the advisory, he said concerns are growing. among international students.
“There is a fear that these kinds of restrictions will spread to a broader community given today’s geopolitical tensions around the world, so the fear is certainly there,” said Li, who urged Trump to support key academic research instead of thwarting.
“If the US is truly a champion of academic freedom, you should not restrict this kind of communication between different countries of the world,” he said.
What could Trump do now?
Trump’s transition team did not respond to questions on the subject this week, but in the past he has said he will revive and expand the travel ban, promising new “ideological screening” for non-US citizens to prevent “dangerous lunatics, haters.” , bigots and maniacs.”
“We are not bringing in anyone from Gaza or Syria or Somalia or Yemen or Libya or anywhere else who threatens our security,” Trump said at an October 2023 campaign event in Iowa.
Trump also vowed to “revoke the student visas of radical anti-American and anti-Semitic foreign nationals at our colleges and universities” in response to protests on campus.
What do schools tell students?
School officials have advised international students heading home for winter break to return before Inauguration Day and prepare for possible immigration delays.
The list includes Ivy League universities such as Harvard and Brown, Boston schools such as Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and other schools across the country from Johns Hopkins University to the University of Southern California. Some offer classes starting the day after Inauguration Day.
Cornell University told its students that a travel ban on the 13 countries Trump previously targeted “will likely go into effect shortly after the inauguration,” and that new countries could be added to the list, notably China and India. It advised students, faculty and staff from those countries to return to campus before the semester begins on Jan. 21.
Other schools did not go so far as to say a ban is likely, instead advising students to plan ahead and prepare for delays.
