Fri Dec 20 06:39:49 UTC 2024: ## US Colleges Urge International Students to Return Before Trump Inauguration Amid Travel Ban Fears

**Washington, DC – December 20, 2024** – Dozens of US colleges and universities are advising international students to return to campus before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, fueled by concerns over a potential reinstatement and expansion of his controversial travel ban. This advisory comes despite the uncertainty surrounding Mr. Trump’s specific plans.

The fear stems from Mr. Trump’s previous administration’s executive order in 2017, which banned travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, later expanding to 15. Over 40,000 people were ultimately denied visas under this policy, which President Biden rescinded in 2021. Mr. Trump has openly stated his intention to revive and broaden the ban, potentially including “ideological screening” and targeting countries like China and India. He has also threatened to revoke student visas for those deemed “anti-American” or “anti-Semitic.”

Institutions like Harvard, Brown, MIT, and Cornell have issued advisories, urging students, particularly those from countries previously affected by the ban or those with significant international student populations such as India and China, to return before the start of the spring semester. While some schools acknowledge the uncertainty, the concern is that a new travel ban could cause significant delays or prevent entry for international students relying on academic visas.

Jacky Li, a student at UC Berkeley, returning to China for the winter break, expressed the anxieties shared by many international students. He highlighted the broader geopolitical tensions contributing to their worries and called on Mr. Trump to support international academic collaboration instead of hindering it.

The Trump transition team has not yet responded to inquiries about the potential travel ban. The impact on the over 1.1 million international students enrolled in US universities, with India and China making up over half, remains a significant concern. The advisories highlight the potential disruption to academic life and the anxiety experienced by international students as they navigate the upcoming transition.

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