*US Universities warned that a travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump January 20, 2025, and the ban is likely to include citizens of the countries his administration targeted in the first term, including Nigeria, Libya, Tanzania, North Korea, and eight others, just as new countries, such as China and India could be added to this list, says report

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Over a dozen Universities in the United States (US) have warned that a travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after the inauguration of American country’s President-elect Donald Trump January 20, 2025.

The concerned Universities late November 2024 had warned foreign students that fear and uncertainty are fast spreading across several US college campuses ahead of Trump鈥檚 January 20 inauguration.

Subsequently, some schools are advising international students to “return early from winter break” amid promises of another travel ban like the one that stranded students abroad at the start of Trump鈥檚 last term.

US President-elect Donald Trump

绿帽献妻 reports the Inauguration Day occurs every four years January 20 (or January 21, if January 20 falls on a Sunday) in the Amrican country.

The inauguration ceremony takes place at the Uuited States Capitol building, in Washington, D.C., and the next Presidential inauguration for Donald Trump is scheduled to be Monday, January 20, 2025.

It was gathered that in a country where more than 1.1 million international students enrolled in US colleges and universities during the 2023-24 academic year, Trump, a former US President, again, has pledged more hardline immigration policies upon his return to the White House, in Washington.

Such unfavourable immigration policies, include an expansion of his previous travel ban on people from predominantly Muslim countries and the revocation of student visas of 鈥渞adical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners,鈥� including Nigeria.

International students generally have nonimmigrant visas that allow them to study in the US, but don鈥檛 provide a legal pathway to stay in the country, CNN report said.

Trump has vowed to give green cards to college grads.

But could that actually happen?

鈥淚t鈥檚 a scary time for international students,鈥� said Pramath Pratap Misra, 23, a student from India who graduated from New York University last year with a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Political Science.

NYU had the most international students in the US 鈥� more than 27,000 鈥� during the last academic year.

On campuses from New York to California, students not only buckled down to take finals before winter break but some also braced for possible disruptions to their lives and the possibility of not being able to complete their studies. Some universities have urged students to put off or cut short travel plans outside the US before the inauguration, report stated.

Cornell University鈥檚 Office of Global Learning advised students who are traveling abroad to return before the January 21 start of the spring semester or to 鈥渃ommunicate with an advisor about your travel plans and be prepared for delays.鈥�

鈥淎 travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after inauguration,鈥� the university warned students late last month.

鈥淭he ban is likely to include citizens of the countries targeted in the first Trump administration: Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Myanmar, Sudan, Tanzania, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, and Somalia. New countries could be added to this list, particularly China and India.鈥�

At the University of Southern California, which had more than 17,000 international students during the last academic year, administrators urged foreign students in an email to be back in the US one week before Trump鈥檚 White House return, saying that 鈥渙ne or more executive orders impacting travel 鈥� and visa processing鈥� may be issued. USC has the largest number of international students in California.

Trump has threatened 鈥痶he visas of international student protesters. A post-grad at risk shares his fears

鈥淲hile there鈥檚 no certainty such orders will be issued, the safest way to avoid any challenges is to be physically present in the U.S. before the Spring semester begins on January 13, 2025,鈥� said the USC Office of International Service, according to a report in the student-led media site.

Additionally, Trump鈥檚 promise of 鈥渕ass deportations鈥� reverberates beyond critical industries, such as agriculture, leisure and hospitality, construction and healthcare: It potentially complicates matters for some students regardless of their winter break travel plans.

The President-elect has at the same time promised to 鈥渁utomatically鈥� give green cards to foreign nationals who graduate from US colleges, a proposal that 鈥� if pursued by Trump and passed by Congress 鈥� could pave the way for potentially millions of international students to become legal permanent residents in the US.

As threat of mass deportations聽 resurface in US

Shortly after Trump made that pledge June 2024, however, a campaign spokesperson said that group would be limited to the 鈥渕ost skilled graduates鈥� and screened to 鈥渆xclude all communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters and public charges.鈥� Public charges refers to those who rely on or seek public assistance.

Trump hasn鈥檛 publicly mentioned the proposal since June, and it鈥檚 not clear how his new administration will approach the issue.

One day after the presidential election last month, UCLA鈥檚 Center for Immigration Law and Policy reminded students that the university 鈥渨ill not release immigration status or related information in confidential student records 鈥� without a judicial warrant, a subpoena, a court order, or as otherwise required by law.鈥�

鈥淭he University also has a strict policy that generally prevents campus police from undertaking joint efforts with federal immigration enforcement or detaining people at the federal government鈥檚 request,鈥� the center said.

鈥榃e鈥檙e very uncertain about the future鈥�: US Universities, colleges

Will there be targeted arrests or mass deportations? Trump campaign’s senior adviser weighs in

In October 2023, after the start of Israel-Hamas war sparked protests on US college campuses, Trump said at a campaign event that he would revoke student visas and deport 鈥渞adical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners鈥� enrolled in universities.

He criticised pro-Palestinian protests and said he would send Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to what he called 鈥減ro-jihadist demonstrations.鈥�

Trump also vowed to reinstate and expand his previous travel ban on people from predominantly Muslim countries 鈥� which limited travelers from Iran, Libya, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

The administration later extended the travel ban to include several African countries.

President Joe Biden revoked the travel ban after he took office in 2021.

It鈥檚聽 time for ‘strong ideological screening of all immigrants’

Indian international students in the US outnumber Chinese for the first time in 15 years

Trump promised to implement 鈥渟trong ideological screening of all immigrants鈥� and said the US would block 鈥渄angerous lunatics, haters, bigots and maniacs to get residency in our country.鈥�

He has sought to distance himself from Project 2025 鈥� the controversial blueprint for a reimagined Federal Government, published by conservatives at the Heritage Foundation in anticipation of a second Trump term 鈥� which proposes the elimination of 鈥渟ensitive zones鈥� limiting federal immigration raids at places such as schools and college campuses.

The plan was formulated by Trump allies.

鈥淲e鈥檙e very uncertain about the future,鈥� said Gabrielle Balreira Fontenelle Mota, 21, who鈥檚 from Brazil and is a junior studying journalism and international relations at NYU. 鈥淚鈥檓 not from a Muslim country or from China, which are places that Trump usually criticizes. “So, I don鈥檛 feel as vulnerable as other international students. 鈥� What makes me a little bit more concerned is the ideological screenings that (Trump) said he will be implementing.鈥�

NYU鈥檚 leaders offered reassurance in a post-election e-mail last month, saying that 鈥渁s a global institution, we believe that the cross-border mobility of our students and scholars is of critical importance.鈥�

鈥淲e will be monitoring any immigration-related proposals, laws, and actions that could be of concern to our community,鈥� the email said.

Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, urges students who are travelling abroad to return before the January 21 start of the spring semester.

With the specter of restrictive immigration policies, other US universities 鈥� among them schools in New England 鈥� have offered resources and issued guidance.

The Office of Global Affairs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has 鈥� 鈥渙ut of an abundance of caution鈥� 鈥� urged all international students, scholars, faculty and staff to return to campus before day one of the new administration.

Los Angeles officials move to establish city as a sanctuary for immigrants and LGBTQ youth in advance of Trump鈥檚 return to the White House

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology urged students to avoid 鈥渕aking decisions based on social media and news reports or rumours.鈥� Northeastern University, which enrolls more international students than any US college after NYU, recommended they return to campus by January 6 to 鈥渕inimise potential disruption to your studies, work, or research.鈥�

Harvard to Students, Scholars: Budget time ahead of semester start

Harvard University鈥檚 International Office also advised students and scholars to 鈥渂udget time ahead of the semester start, prior to the January Martin Luther King holiday鈥� to avoid disruptions or delays.

Wesleyan University, in a letter to students traveling abroad, recommended they return by January 19 amid 鈥渦ncertainties around President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 plans for immigration-related policy.鈥�

鈥淭he best way to anticipate or predict what will happen in the second Trump administration is to look at what happened in the first administration, and what we saw in the first Trump administration was an effort to restrict the entry of foreign born (students and workers) throughout every category,鈥� Stuart Anderson, executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy, a nonpartisan research organisation, said during a recent post-election briefing hosted by the Presidents鈥� Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

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