Trump inauguration leads to uncertainty among international students

International students across the nation are experiencing uncertainty with Trump’s upcoming administration immigration policies.

Universities such as Cornell University and University of Massachusetts-Amherst have advised that international students from certain countries should return to their campuses before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, in order to avoid visa-processing challenges with travelling back to the U.S.

“A travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after inauguration,” Cornell University wrote in a statement after the election. “The 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.” 

Trump first imposed travel bans through executive order shortly into his first term in 2017. In 2020, Trump’s administration proposed a new policy which would set expiration limits to student visas to expire after four years and after two years for students from some Middle Eastern, African and Asian countries.

While UCI administration has not directly commented on these issues, they have released updates on immigration policies on the International Center website in response to the 2024 election results. 

“We do not know specifically what immigration-related changes may occur with the new administration,” The International Center said in a statement last updated on Dec. 2. “The previous Trump administration proposed and implemented policies that negatively impacted international students, scholars and employees. At that time, there were ongoing lawsuits and other legal challenges that blocked or minimized the policies. The International Center will keep you informed if any changes occur.”

Students holding H-1B visas, which allow employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in technical fields, experienced application process reforms under the outgoing Biden administration. Trump recently voiced his support for H-1B visas after arguments among his top supporters and staff broke out over the program. Despite his support, Trump initially restricted access to these visas during his first term. Both Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — Trump’s picks to be the head of the proposed “Department of Government Efficiency,” — publicly voiced their support for the program, while prominent Trump supporters Steve Bannon and Nikki Haley have openly opposed the program.

“I think that [H1-B] is a huge positive for individuals who contribute to our society who use their skill set and advance their own academic growth that they are invested in… but I kind of see both sides of that coin” Archana Sheth, Associate Director of UCI’s International Center, told New University. “I think Americans can’t get there because the education that needs to start at k-12 still needs a lot of work for people to advance [and] the affordability of higher education is not realistic.” 

Ahead of Trump’s inauguration, nonprofit organization America First Legal issued policy letters to state and city officials who have immigrant sanctuary policies, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, on Dec. 23. The organization is owned by Stephen Miller, who is set to become Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy. These letters warn that concealing illegal immigrants from police and border officials is a felony and that they could “each face criminal prosecution … for [their] illegal acts.” The state government responded to the letters issued by Trump administration affiliates earlier last month.

“No matter who is in the White House, in California, we will continue to lead with California values. California is the most diverse state in the nation, and immigrants are the backbone of our economy, history and culture. We will not be caught flat-footed if the President-elect follows through on his threats of mass deportation,” California Attorney General Bonta said in a statement on Dec. 4. “Many public institutions already have policies in place for how to respond to immigration enforcement authorities – and we advise those who do not to make a plan today.”

Passed in 2017, Senate Bill 54 ensures limited cooperation between state or local resources in California and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in order to protect immigrants from deportation. Huntington Beach city leaders filed a lawsuit in the Central District of California on Jan. 7, challenging SB 54 as “a violation of the U.S. constitution.”

“Huntington Beach will not sit idly by and allow the obstructionist Sanctuary State Law to put our 200,000 residents at risk of harm from those who seek to commit violent crimes on U.S. soil,” Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns wrote in a statement. 

Despite the uncertainty for many students and staff, the International Center is committed to keeping the school informed about policy updates and providing assistance to students and staff.

“As an office I think we’ll just be sure to continue to make sure that students feel informed…just so students know they are supported on our campus,” Sheth told New University. “I hope it brings a sense of comfort to our students, too.”

Grace Hefner is a Staff Writer for the winter 2025 quarter. She can be reached at ghefner@uci.edu

Edited by Annabelle Aguirre

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