US universities are advising international students and staff to return to campus before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, amid fears over his plans for mass deportations.
“All international students are worried right now,” said Chloe East, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver, in an interview with the BBC.
Trump, a Republican, has promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in US history, with the US military potentially involved. According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, more than 400,000 undocumented students are currently enrolled in US higher education.
Trump’s incoming administration has hinted at creating large holding facilities for undocumented immigrants facing deportation. Tom Homan, who will serve as Trump’s border czar, has stated that violent criminals and national security threats will be prioritized for removal. However, this has not eased concerns within the academic community.
“Students are incredibly overwhelmed and stressed out right now because of the uncertainty surrounding immigration,” East said. “Many are worried about their visas and whether they will be able to continue their education.”
In November, the University of Massachusetts issued a travel advisory to its international students and staff, advising them to “strongly consider” returning to campus before Trump’s inauguration on January 20. The advisory cited concerns based on previous travel bans introduced by Trump during his first term.
In 2017, Trump signed an executive order banning nationals from several Muslim-majority countries, as well as North Korea and Venezuela, from entering the US. He also proposed restrictions on student visas during his first presidency.
Other universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Wesleyan University, have issued similar advisories, 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 this month to address concerns about potential changes to immigration policy, according to the student newspaper.
This includes foreign-born students protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which Trump has attempted to end. DACA protects over 500,000 young immigrants who came to the US as children from deportation.
East said that students from Asia, particularly China, are feeling anxious about the future of US-China relations under Trump.
Aoi Maeda, an international student from Japan studying at Earlham College in Indiana, expressed concern 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,” she said.
Maeda added, “Trump claims he’s only focused on keeping illegal immigrants out of the country, but he frequently changes his stance. I feel like international students with visas might be targeted, and it will become easier to deport us.”
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