Some universities were advising staff and international students to delay their travel, citing government efforts to deport students engaged in pro-Palestinian action, even before students abruptly started losing their permit to study in the US. Visa
An overseas student at the University of California, San Diego was organizing a trip to Hawaii with a few buddies during summer break from a PhD program. However, the student changed their mind after witnessing foreign students in the US being denied their legal status.
It didn’t seem worth the risk to travel anywhere, even within the United States. The student, who spoke under condition of anonymity out of concern for potential targeting, stated, “I probably am going to skip that to…have as few interactions with governments as possible.”
The Trump administration’s crackdown has increased a sense of risk, making international students reconsider their plans to visit relatives, go on vacation, or do research.
Some universities were advising staff and international students to delay their travel, citing government efforts to deport students engaged in pro-Palestinian action, even before students abruptly started losing their permit to study in the US. More schools have issued warnings against international students traveling overseas for non-essential purposes since the magnitude of the status terminations became public in recent weeks.
For example, the University of California, Berkeley warned last week that “strict vetting and enforcement” made future overseas travel dangerous.”
An Associated Press assessment of university announcements, correspondence with school officials, and court records shows that since late March, at least 1,220 students at 187 colleges, universities, and university systems have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated.
However, the number of impacted kids seems to be much more. In response to congressional queries, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on April 10 that at least 4,736 foreign students’ visa records were revoked in a government database that preserves their legal status.
Some students fled the country alone, while others went into hiding after being suddenly threatened with deportation. Many of the students claimed that their records contained only minor transgressions or that they were unaware of the reasons behind the removal of their records.
The US government overturned the terminations when federal judges expressed concerns about due process in a number of students’ cases, but it later released new guidelines that broadened the grounds for future legal status loss for overseas students.
The revocation of the visas students used to enter the US is one of the legitimate grounds for status termination under the new policy. In the past, students could usually remain in the US to complete their education even if their visa was canceled. If they left the country, they just couldn’t get back in.
Colleges are finding it difficult to provide students with advice due to the rapidly changing circumstances.
International students are asking more questions than ever before about summer travel, according to a Michigan college employee who assists them with the visa application process. The worker, who spoke under anonymity since he was not permitted to address the media, claimed that he frequently hasn’t been able to provide adequate responses.
Approximately 1.1 million international students studied in the US last year, providing many universities with much-needed tuition income. Advocates predict that number will decline as the crackdown damages America’s reputation.
People with a variety of immigration statuses, including international students, have called Rishi Oza’s immigration law practice in North Carolina nearly every day in recent weeks regarding travel dangers.
“Is this the kind of country we want?” you ask, shaking your head somewhat. Oza uttered those words. “It just seems a little out of balance that people are afraid to leave and wonder if they will be able to return.” Visa-holding students in the US must determine whether their trip is essential, according to Oza.
They should bring immigration documentation, transcripts from their schools, and even court records if they were accused of a crime and the court dismissed the case when they try to reenter the nation after leaving. He stated that in the end, attorneys are unable to predict what will transpire at the airport.
One overseas student at the University of Illinois is upset about the uncertainty. Since one of his classmates fled the country after their legal status was revoked, the student, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid being singled out, has kept quiet.
There is anxiety about the student’s plans to visit his native Asia this summer, but he has nowhere else to go. He purchased his aircraft ticket and is determined to make the journey. But he still worries about what might occur when he gets back. “Right now,” he said, “I’m afraid I might not be able to come back.”
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