International students reconsidering travel plans in light of Trump administration’s attack on visas

UC San Diego s North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood is seen on July File photo by Ariana Drehsler For CalMatters On summer break from a Ph D project an international trainee at University of California San Diego was planning a trip with a insufficient friends to Hawaii But after seeing international students across the United States stripped of their legal status the candidate decided against it Any passage even inside the U S just didn t seem worth the threat I ostensibly am going to skip that to have as limited interactions with governments as workable disclosed the attendee who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of being targeted International students weighing advance to see family take a vacation or conduct research are thinking twice because of the Trump administration s crackdown which has added to a sense of vulnerability Even before students suddenly began losing permission to research in the U S selected colleges were encouraging international students and faculty to postpone journey citing regime efforts to deport students involved in pro-Palestinian activism As the scale of the status terminations emerged in contemporary weeks more schools have cautioned against non-essential advance abroad for international students University of California Berkeley for one issued an advisory last week saying upcoming international expedition was risky due to strict vetting and enforcement At least students at colleges universities and university systems have had their visas revoked or legal status terminated since late March according to an Associated Press review of university statements correspondence with school agents and court records The number of affected students appears far higher though At least international students visa records were terminated in a executive database that maintains their legal status according to an April Immigration and Customs Enforcement response to inquiries from Congress Suddenly at jeopardy for deportation chosen students went into hiding while others left the country on their own Various of the students mentioned they had only minor infractions on their records or didn t know why their records were removed After federal judges raised due process concerns in several students cases the U S executive reversed the terminations but then issued new guidance expanding the reasons international students can lose their legal status in the future Under the new procedures valid reasons for status termination include the revocation of the visas students used to enter the U S In the past if a participant s visa was revoked they generally could stay in the U S to finish school They totally would not be able to reenter if they left the country The fast-evolving situation has left colleges struggling to advise students A Michigan college employee who helps international students tackle the visa process reported they are inquiring more than ever about summer expedition The employee who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media noted he often has been unable to give sufficient answers Last year the U S hosted around million international students a source of essential tuition revenue at a large number of schools Advocates say that number is likely to shrink as the crackdown hurts America s appeal Over the past meager weeks Rishi Oza s immigration law firm in North Carolina has received calls about expedition risks almost daily from people of varied immigration status including international students You kind of shake your head and say Is this the character of the country we want Oza stated It just seems that it s a bit out of whack that people are fearful of leaving and whether they ll be able to come back Students in the U S with a visa need to decide if their travels are critical Oza stated When attempting reentry after leaving the country they should bring immigration documents school transcripts and even court documents if they were charged with a crime and the court dismissed the affair Ultimately lawyers can t foretell what will happen at the airport he declared The unpredictability has put one international aspirant at the University of Illinois in distress The aspirant who requested anonymity to avoid being targeted has laid low since one of his classmates left the country after their legal status was terminated The scholar s plan to passage to his home country in Asia this summer causes feelings of panic but he has nowhere else to stay He bought his plane ticket and is committed to the trip His anxiety over what could happen when he returns however is still there Right now he noted I m afraid I might not be able to come back