‘Return before Trump’s inauguration, otherwise…’, American universities warn students

US University Warns Students: Many universities in America have advised foreign students (especially Indian) to return from their winter holidays before the swearing-in ceremony of President Donald Trump on January 20. The advisory issued to students said that this would avoid travel restrictions and strict checks at entry points.

The universities’ concerns are related to Trump’s statement during his election campaign in which he threatened to expel illegal immigrants from America. Although the risk is less for Indian students as they have valid visas, universities have still advised not to take the risk.

Changes in academic calendar

This concern has increased at a time when India has left China behind in terms of student enrollment in America. Between 2023 and 2024, 3.3 lakh Indian students have come to American universities, while only 2.7 lakh students have come from China.

Some institutions have also adjusted their academic calendar so that students can return on time. A postgraduate student of data science at Willamette University in Oregon said that his classes usually start after the new year, but this time they are starting from January 2.

Fear of strict checks at airports

Yale University organized a separate session to clear the doubts of the students. One student said that this was just to avoid possible problems at airports or trouble in booking flights.

A student of the University of Massachusetts said that he had to postpone his return date, which cost him an additional amount of about thirty-five thousand rupees. University professors had warned him that security checks could be strict and documents could be thoroughly scrutinized. The University of Massachusetts’ Office of Global Affairs said on its website that this advice was given out of an abundance of caution, as travel restrictions were experienced during the Trump administration in 2016.

Students at other universities such as the University of Memphis and Wesleyan University have also been given similar advice. A professor said this was a way to avoid any trouble for the students or the university.

Uncertainty among students

University of Memphis Provost Balaji K said on students’ concerns that students are worried about possible changes in immigration policies. “We are assuring students that they have valid documents and that the university will support them if any issues arise,” he said.

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