Advice to International Students: Return to the U.S. Before Trump's Inauguration

On Friday, December 30, the Associated Press reported that several colleges and universities in the United States advised their international students to return to the U.S. before the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, on Monday, January 20 (February 1). According to the news agency, there is a possibility that Donald Trump may impose travel restrictions to the United States similar to those during his first term in office. The Associated Press states that more than a dozen higher education institutions in the U.S., despite the uncertainty of Trump's government programs, have given such advice to their international students. Meanwhile, the spring semester at some universities begins even before the new U.S. administration takes office, and international students already in the country will not face any issues. However, international students intending to enter the U.S. with student visas after Trump's inauguration have been advised to arrive before January 20. During his first term, Donald Trump issued an executive order banning citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan, from entering the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of State, during Trump's presidency, 15 countries and about 40,000 individuals were affected by this order and could not enter the U.S. Joe Biden revoked these orders after winning the presidential election. According to the Open Doors research project, partially funded by the U.S. Department of State, more than 1.1 million international students are studying in U.S. higher education institutions in the 2023-2024 academic year. More than half of these students are from India and China, and about 43,000 students are from the 15 countries that were previously affected by Trump's order. Trump's transition team did not respond to questions about this matter this week, but he has previously stated that he would impose and expand this travel ban. Trump has committed to preventing the entry of 'dangerous lunatics, hateful individuals, and extremists' into the U.S. through a new 'ideological screening' for non-American citizens. Last year, at a campaign event in Iowa, he said, 'We will not let anyone from Gaza, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, or anywhere else that threatens our security in.' Trump also pledged to revoke the student visas of foreign anti-American and anti-Semitic extremists in U.S. colleges and universities.