“Welcome, members of the class of 2025, from down the street, across the country and around the world…just as it should be…” this brief snippet from Harvard President Alan Garber’s speech at the University commencement held on May 29, 2025, has made its rounds on the internet, an encapsulation of the Harvard University stance towards an increasingly hostile clampdown by the U.S government on international students.
The Trump administration has launched several measures calculated to eliminate leftist ideology, radical liberalism and foreign influence. Some of these steps have caused concern to the substantial international student population currently in the United States, which is approximately 1.3 million. Along with this, the administration has taken steps to curb immigration, both legal and illegal. This has included increased scrutiny of those in the country and those proposing to travel there.
Also Read |The Trump vs Universities stand-off: Pushback and the public
We take a look at the range of impacts on immigrant students which trace back to the beginning of Donald Trump’s second presidency.
Detention by ICE
In 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained several students who were part ofprotests supporting Palestine or otherwise expressed pro-Palestine sentiments. In Michigan, FBI and local authorities even raided the homes of some students.
At least six non citizens lawfully in the US were detained or targetted for deportation. Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk was detained after she co-signed an editorial in the college newspaper calling for the school to divest from companies with ties to Israel. Ms. Öztürk was allowed to resume research in December by a court ruling, after spending six weeks in a Louisana immigration detention centre earlier in the year.
Indian citizen and Columbia PhD student Ranjani Srinivasan had her visa revoked by the Department of State on March 5, 2025, owing to her online support for the Palestinian cause, with the department saying she had advocated for “violence and terrorism.” She self-deported on March 11 via the CBP Home App, which lets those in the country illegally to self-deport.
Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian hailing from West Bank, had been arrested by immigration officers for overstaying her student visa, after she participated in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. Palestinian activists and greencard holders Mohsen Mahdawi and Mahmoud Khalil were detained when they showed up for citizenship interviews. Mr. Khalil spent 104 days in detention.
Immigration officials also sought to arrest Columbia student Yunseo Chang, a legal permanent resident who arrived from South Korea in the U.S at the age of 7, for her participation in pro-Palestine protests. Ms. Chang has sued the Trump administration.
Some professors came under the scanner as well. A Germanic Studies professor at Indiana University came under fire after he was accused of pro-Palestine speech by one of his students, and he was investigated under a new state law mandating “intellectual diversity”
Badar Khan Suri, an Indian postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown was detained outside his home in March and faced deportation on charges that he was “spreading Hamas propaganda” and had ties with a “suspected terrorist” of the group. The charges emanated from some social media posts and his association with his wife, a U.S. citizen whose father, Ahmed Yousef, formerly served as a senior political adviser to the Hamas leadership in Gaza. The administration allowed him to return to his work at the school and reinstate his legal status as part of a settlement filed in federal court on August 5.
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and other academic associations sued the administration for taking action against international students for their political opinions. Massachusetts federal judge William G Young ruled in their favour on September 30, 2025, noting that the Trump administration had used the threat of deportation to systematically silence noncitizens in academia who protested in support of Palestinians, violating the First Amendment as part of a broader strategy to stamp out campus activism.
Jacqueline Stevens, Professor of Political Science and Founding Director of the Deportation Research Clinic at Northwestern University, said that universities should use federal court decisions such as these to protect their students. “Universities can and should withhold data requested by the Trump administration unless legally obligated to produce it; they can also provide students impacted by visa denials online access to instruction,” she said.
“More generally, universities need to stand up to the administration and rely on some excellent federal court decisions to push back against unlawful orders. The order in the case of AAUP v. Rubio provides excellent analysis and support for such resistance,” she noted, in a email response.
Proposed curbs on enrollment and visas
The Trump administration barred Harvard from enrolling international students and hosting foreign researchers on May 23, suspending its Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) certification. The administration averred that Harvard had allowed anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to target Jewish students, and that it coordinated with the Chinese Communist Party. It even alleged that the university had hosted and trained members of a Chinese paramilitary group in 2024.
Within 24 hours, federal judge Allison Boroughs in Boston blocked the order after Harvard filed a lawsuit alleging violation of its First Amendment rights, and noting that it would have an “immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders,” who would have to transfer or lose their legal status. At least 27.2% of the students enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year wereinternational.
“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” Harvard said in its suit. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.”
The government can and does remove colleges from the SEVP , making them ineligible to host foreign students on their campus. However, this usually is for administrative reasons outlined in law, such as failing to maintain accreditation, lacking proper facilities for classes, or failing to employ qualified professional personnel.
Homeland Security Kristi Noem had demanded five years’ worth of records related to international students’ conduct, particularly participation “in violence or protests that could lead to their deportation,” to restore the certification.
Universities also came under the scanner for hosting significant populations of Chinese students. Six universities— University of Maryland, Stanford University, University of Southern California, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Purdue and Carnegie Mellon—received letters from the House of Representatives demanding details about Chinese national students and researchers’ involvement in federally funded research.
On May 28, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that U.S would aggressively revoke the visas of Chinese students, pinpointing those who have links to the Communist Party or those studying in “critical fields.”
Many international students saw their visas revoked by the State Department earlier this year, although most were restored (temporarily). While some revocations pertained to support for Palestine, others remained mysterious. On April 25, the Trump administration reinstated a host of foreign student visas. This emerged in a court filing when a lawyer representing the government said that ICE was restoring records that had suddenly disappeared from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (Sevis).
In September, reports emerged that surprise site checks were being done for foreign students in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which is one year with a possibility of a 2 year extension for STEM students. ICE and the Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) unit of the USCIS have the authority to verify whether training plans under Form I-983 aligns with the student’s field of training and whether F-1 status is being properly maintained. However, officials have been visiting student housing facilities, which some have questioned as overstepping the limits of the law.
An uptick in requests for further evidence (RFEs) while applying for work authorisation during this period (OPT-EAD) is also being observed by some lawyers.
Social media scrutiny
The U.S. State Department briefly suspended student visa processing in May, but resumed in June, with an added caveat: all applicants will now be required to unlock their social media accounts for government review.
Applicants will be required to set their privacy settings on social media profiles to public. Per the department’s statement, consular officers will be on the lookout for any indications of hostility toward the “citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States,” with “comprehensive and thorough vetting of all student and exchange visitor applicants.”
Caps on international student populations
Earlier this year, President Trump said at a press conference that Harvard “should have a cap of maybe around 15%” of international students” in its student body, a proposal that has made its way into the proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education touted by the administration.
Also Read |F-1 Visa students in the U.S. can’t change courses, universities in first year after new visa rules
The administration’s agreement with Columbia also included a clause committing the university to a reduction of its international student population, stating that it will “examine its business model and take steps to decrease financial dependence on international student enrollment.” Post the agreement, Columbia is requiring international applicants to its law and engineering schools to submit statements spelling out why they want to study in the U.S.
An analysis by NAFSA estimated that a 30% to 40% fall in new international student enrolment could lead to nearly $7 billion in lost spending in local communities, especially small college towns, and jeopardise more than 60,000 jobs. International students contributed $46 billion to the US economy and supported 4 lakh jobs in 2024.
The BBC reported a much smaller drop of around 17% in first-time students, particularly in graduate students this autumn compared to the previous one, which is lower than the one forecast over the summer by NAFSA.
The drop is not new, and continues a trend sparked off by tariffs on China during the first Trump administration, COVID-19 related visa and travel restrictions. Chinese students in particular are opting for different study destinations.
However, China received more than double the number of student visas as contrasted to India in August 2025. AP reported that approvals for India students dropped 44.5% year-on-year. There was also a 33% decline in students arriving from Africa, 24% from Asia, and 17% from the Middle East.
Trump’s rhetoric about international students has varied.
In September, he said he planned to issue 600,000 Chinese student visas – about double the current number. Again, in November, he defended the presence of international students in the U.S, saying that cutting numbers would damage American universities. In an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Mr. Trump said “I actually think it’s good to have outside countries. Look, I want to be able to get along with the world.”
“If we were to cut that in half, which perhaps makes some people happy, you would have half the colleges in the United States go out of business,” he said. Saying that foreign students bring significant financial benefits, Mr. Trump said “I want to see our school system thrive. It’s not that I want them, but I view it as a business.”
Some commentators take a kinder, non-monetary view.
“Restrictions on mobility based on nationality or other hereditable characteristics are illiberal and at odds with the text of the U.S. Constitution, which was drafted for a population that included residents from Spain, France, and Indian nations, and is on behalf of “we the people,” not a specific nationality, unlike most of the European constitutions,“ Professor Stevens said.
“That said, even U.S. citizens, especially those who appear non-White, now fear encounters with agents of Homeland Security. The best protection is to make sure people carry with them evidence of their authorization to be in the United States and memorize a phone number for legal or other assistance, just in case,” she suggested.
Ban on countries
The Trump administration has called for 36 countries to commit to improving vetting of travelers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the U.S. 12 nations already face a travel ban, while seven others face additional restrictions, starting June 9, according to a White House announcement. The restrictions was expanded in December to include 20 additional countries and the Palestinian Authority. Partial restrictions were imposed on 15 countries, while full bans were imposed on Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria.
Also Read |Trump expands travel ban, adding five more countries and imposing new limits on others
The other countries with travel bans are: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Additional restrictions have been imposed on: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
In another move that may impact some international students, the State department also instituted a pause on immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries with effect from January 21, 2026, saying that they were at high risk for using public benefits or welfare in the U.S. The list includes countries like Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Tanzania, Thailand and Uganda.
Measures targeting undocumented immigrants
In July, the DOE announced it would end taxpayer subsidization of undocumented immigrants career, technical, and adult education programs., rescinding a “Dear Colleague” letter from the Clinton Administration. This also extends to Pell Grants and student loans. In a press release, the DOE claimed that the letter had allowed “non-qualified illegal aliens” to receive federal benefits in violation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA).
This year, the Justice Department sued six States for offering discounted tuition to undocumented immigrants. The first of these States was Texas, which had offered undocumented students and asylum applicants in-State tuition rates in public universities under the Texas Dream Act 2001. Beneficiaries of the law had to commit to becoming lawful permanent residents at the earliest. In June, the Texas attorney general and the White House coordinated to end the provision. Officials had argued that the policy was discriminatory towards American citizens from other States and that the State law was superseded by a 1996 federal legislation.
Now, similar arguments are being replicated in lawsuits against Kentucky, Oklahoma and Minnesota.
The DOE also launched inquiry into scholarship recipients from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme on July 23, targeting the University of Louisville, the University of Nebraska Omaha, the University of Miami, the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University. The investigations seek to determine whether these universities are granting scholarships exclusively to DACA or undocumented students, “in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s prohibition against national origin discrimination.”
This action follows complaints from conservative group Legal Insurrection Foundation’s Equal Protection Project.
Professor Stevens notes that DACA receipients “continue to have their legal status protected by the reliance interest created a few years ago by the Supreme Court, when the Trump administration attacked this during Trump’s first term in office.”
However, “Scholarships and many other benefits to non-citizens have been put on hold or withdrawn, especially in states and public universities run by Republicans.”
“The main targets are scholarships set aside for Dreamers, as opposed to limits on the ability of Dreamers to apply for scholarships available to any student. That said, Dreamers and other noncitizens are not eligible for many loans and financial aid, and thus have a special need for such targeted aid programmes,” she notes.
Dr. Angel Pérez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, noted that for several DACA students, there is uncertainty about whether they can live and study in the U.S.
“I think it’s important for people to know that there’s a lot of people fighting the administration to make sure that these students get access….But I need to be really honest with you. There are students who will not continue their education right now. If you are in the state of Texas, if you are in the state of Florida, and you are a DACA student, you’re probably finding it very difficult to continue your education,” he says.
Questions surrounding H-1B visas
The Trump administration introduced a $100,000 visa fee for new H-1B visa applicants, another hurdle for international students, since future work opportunities are a key factor in deciding where to study. Per a survey of international graduate students conducted by the Institute for Progress and NAFSA, 53% of those surveyed said they would not have enrolled in their university if H-1B visas were tied to wage levels, while 54% said they wouldn’t have joined if OPT didn’t exist. 49% said they would reconsider enrolling if “duration of status” permissions for student visas were replaced by set admission periods.
Support from student bodies and public
According to a report by the Harvard Crimson, the Harvard Kennedy School Student Government candidates pledged increased support to international students. This is especially crucial in a student body where 59% of students are international.
Some states have enacted legislation to protect the privacy of immigrant students, restricting the access of immigration authorities to schools and prohibiting the sharing of sensitive information sans warrant. This included California, where Senate Bill 98 requires California State University and community colleges to inform their students and staff if ICE agents are on campus.
United Auto Workers Local 4811—the union that University of California academic student employees are eligible to join— is also advocating for international students, who make up 40% of grad student population in the UC System. The union has made protecting immigrants a top organizing priority, and some of the terms during negotiations with the university system have included not co-operating with ICE or disclosing worker information to them, job security for workers post visa-termination, and a legal fund for those seeking to reinstate work authorisation.
A Pew Research Center study published in September 17, 2025 highlighted that 79% of Americans, including a majority of both Democrats and Republicans, believe that that it is good for American universities to have international students. However, several also support restrictions. Among these: half believe in limits for Chinese students, while around 40% believe in similar restrictions for India, Nigeria and South Korea. More than 40% believe that the U.S should be able to cancel the visas of students criticising U.S foreign policy.
Dr. Pérez says that students on campus do appreciate international students. “They want to learn from them. They want, you know, global friends. They want these lifelong friendships that have been so critical to the American college experience. “
He strikes a note of hope. “I walk on college campuses almost every day, and there’s joyful students and there’s laughter, and people are playing sports and people are in the labs, and so that work continues, and that’s what gives me hope for the future.”
(Note: This article is current as of January 30, 2026.)
