Credit: (AP Photo/Mel Evans)New Jersey colleges and universities are preparing for potential changes to immigration policy once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Schools are offering personalized support to international students with questions about whether they should return from winter break ahead of Inauguration Day to make sure they are back on campus before any possible travel bans go into effect. Trump’s specific plans are unclear, but universities and students are proceeding with caution.
More than 23,000 international students attended New Jersey colleges and universities during the last school year, according to the 2024 Open Doors report. Roughly two-thirds of these students come from India and China, which some experts believe could be included in a travel ban after Trump takes office.
Staying in the United States over winter break or returning ahead of Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 would offer protection if Trump institutes travel bans on people from other countries. In the first week of his first term in 2017, Trump signed an executive order that barred travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, which left some students and faculty stranded outside the U.S.
Some colleges and universities are concerned Trump might take similar steps during his second term.
Watching and waiting
Drew University’s semester starts Jan. 22, so students are advised to return on or before Jan. 20, a spokesperson said. The International Student & Scholar Services office reminded students of the importance of traveling with important documents and checking their student emails for any updates.
Princeton University’s Davis International Center sent an email to students in November with a list of resources for international students who have questions and concerns about reentering the country after Jan. 20.
“At this point, we do not know how a change in administration will affect specific immigration policies or visa processing,” the message reads. The center said it will continue to monitor the situation and advise students accordingly.
Princeton also organized a series of virtual Q&A sessions with an immigration attorney to help students make informed decisions about their travel plans. The university had about 2,600 international students last year, according to Open Doors.
At Stevens Institute of Technology, International Student and Scholar Services is working directly with students to address concerns about travel during the spring semester, according to a spokesperson. Stevens was attended by more than 5,200 international students last year, according to Open Doors.
Many New Jersey colleges and universities begin the spring semester the week of Inauguration Day, so a lot of students will already be back on campus by Jan. 20.
Visa requirements
International students must obtain an F visa to attend college or university in the United States. A visa does not guarantee entry into the country, according to the State Department. It allows foreign citizens to travel to a port of entry, such as an airport, and request permission to enter the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials then decide if the person can enter.
When Trump issued an executive order at the beginning of his first term barring travel to the U.S. by citizens of certain countries, travelers from those countries were stopped from boarding their flights or detained at U.S. airports after landing. The ban initially included Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen and impacted citizens of a total of 15 countries throughout Trump’s presidency. President Joe Biden reversed the ban on his first day in office.
Trump’s comments on the campaign trail about international students were mixed. In June, Trump said on a podcast that he wants to help international students stay in the country after graduating from a U.S. university by giving them a green card automatically. This would mark a break from Trump’s other policy proposals that seek to limit immigration to the United States.
After the podcast aired, a campaign spokesperson told CNN graduates would be screened “to exclude all communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters and public charges.”
Trump has also threatened to deport student protestors from other countries.
“When I am president, we will not allow our colleges to be taken over by violent radicals,” Trump said at a rally in Wildwood in May. “If you come here from another country and try to bring jihadism or anti-Americanism or antisemitism to our campuses, we will immediately deport you.”
— Chart by Genesis Obando
