Fear, uncertainty rise among international students in the US ahead of Trump's inauguration

(MENAFN) Fear and uncertainty are spreading across many US college campuses ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's January 20 inauguration, with some schools advising international students to return early from winter break amid warnings of another travel ban, similar to the one that stranded students abroad at the start of Trump's previous term.

In a country with over 1.1 million international students enrolled in US colleges and universities during the 2023-24 academic year, the former president has promised more hardline immigration policies upon his return to the White House, including expanding his previous travel ban on people from predominantly Muslim countries and revoking student visas for "radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners."

Nonimmigrant visas allow international students to study in the United States but do not give a legal path to permanent residency.

"It's a scary time for international students," said Pramath Pratap Misra, 23, an Indian student who recently graduated from New York University with a bachelor's degree in political science. During the previous academic year, NYU had the highest number of international students in the United States, with over 27,000.

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