During his campaign, President Donald Trump introduced innovative proposals aimed at enticing the brightest talents from across America. He promised that, if elected, he would offer green cards to all international students who earn degrees from US universities.
“It’s quite unfortunate to see Harvard graduates return home instead of staying here,” Trump remarked during a podcast interview last June. “It will stop on the very first day of my presidency.”
However, this pledge never materialized. Trump’s perspective on welcoming international students has shifted significantly. Many international students found themselves caught in an escalating rhetoric surrounding an “I’ll expel them!” campaign, as his administration tightened immigration policies alongside reforming higher education.
VladySlav Plyaka will take photos in Washington’s Capitol Hill area on Monday, June 2, 2025.
A cascade of policies from the Trump administration, including derailing student potential and halting opportunities to study in the US, such as the New Student Visa Interview, as well as actions to block foreign student registration at prestigious institutions like Harvard, have led to lawsuits, policy reversals, and confusion among international students who report feeling targeted.
In discussions, international students from various regions have shared the emotional toll these circumstances have taken on them. Many express feelings of fear and anxiety, causing distractions from their studies and prompting travel cancellations due to worries about re-entry.
For countless individuals, recent months have forced a reevaluation of their aspirations of building a future in America.
Outstanding Latvian students feel like “commodities”
Marks Saule, a freshman at Brigham Young University Idaho, recently traveled back to Latvia but was anxious about re-entering the US due to political tensions.
For hours, he deleted social media and removed any politically sensitive content from his devices.
“During that ten-hour flight, I kept wondering, ‘Will I be allowed back in?’—it was definitely nerve-wracking,” said Saule, a business analytics major. “The anxiety was overwhelming.”
Saule is the kind of international student the US desperately seeks. As a high school graduate in Latvia, he qualified for a competitive merit-based exchange program funded by the US Department of State. He enjoyed a transformative year in Minnesota, where he developed a fondness for both America and a classmate, who is now his fiancée. He finished his freshman year with an impressive 4.0 GPA.
Yet, the stress he experienced during his flight shattered his American dreams.
“At the end of 2024, I envisioned getting married, finding a great job in the US, and starting a family,” Saule, who aspires to be a business data analyst, reflected. “Now? My plans have completely changed. I’m simply looking to leave this place as soon as I can.”
Saule and his fiancée will marry this summer, finish their degrees a year early, and relocate to Europe.
The Trump administration’s spring actions abruptly revoked study permits for international students, leading to many being turned away. While federal judges have halted further terminations, the damage has already been done. Saule perpetually fears he might be next.
Just three years ago, as a student from Minnesota, he felt like a proud representative of his nation.
“Now, I feel inferior. I feel like a commodity, a mere appendage that could be easily cast aside,” he expressed. “Trump’s policies imply that my worth can be dismissed at any moment.”
From aspiring NASA employees to job listings in “doomscrolling” in India
During an interview with the podcast All-In last June, Trump raised alarms about attracting top talents globally. In response to a query on giving businesses access to the best and brightest students, he claimed, “I promise.” He reaffirmed his intent to offer green cards to foreign students who complete degrees.
He recounted tales of “remarkable” students unable to stay in the country, stating, “They go back to India and China, creating thousands of jobs and generating billions. This will all stop on day one.”
If Trump had fulfilled that promise, 24-year-old AVI, an Indian physics student, would not be worried about losing everything he has worked for.
Six years after arriving in Arizona for university, where he now works as an engineer, the US feels like home to him. He dreams of a future at NASA or a national laboratory while maintaining connections with many relatives.
Yet, current fears hinder him from visiting them, as he anxiously sees reports of foreigners facing mistreatment at immigration centers and airports.
“Am I risking my chance to see my family, or am I risking deportation?” asked AVI, who requested anonymity due to fear of repercussions.
AVI is among roughly 240,000 holders of US student visas engaging in optional practical training, an opportunity allowing graduates to work up to three years in fields related to their degree. Despite his current visa being valid until next year, he feels immense anxiety.
He wonders whether he can commit to a lease for a new apartment. Even routine commutes have become strained.
“Every morning, I drive to work at a cautious speed,” said AVI, who wants to remain in the US but is now exploring broader opportunities. “I find myself spending more time looking for job listings in India and elsewhere.”
Ukrainians opting for US universities while fighting battles at home
VladySlav Plyaka arrived in the US from Ukraine as a high school exchange student. After the war erupted in his home country, he chose to stay and attend the University of Wisconsin.
While he had hoped to visit Poland to see his mother, leaving the US would require reapplying for a visa—a possibility shrouded in uncertainty, especially since visa appointments have been halted. Moreover, it’s unsafe to leave the country at this time.
Although he values his education, Plyaka knows that without a visa renewal, he may end up stuck in the US for at least two years to complete his degree. He worries that if anything happens to his family back home, he might have to abandon his education in the United States.
“If all remains well back home, it’s still a struggle because my family occupies my thoughts daily,” he said.
Visa difficulties made it a challenge for him to obtain three scholarships, further complicating the sacrifices he made to be here. Sometimes he grapples with guilt for not being present to defend his homeland, yet he recognizes the value of acquiring an education in America.
“I chose to stay here purely for the quality of my university education,” he said. “Otherwise, I likely would have been on the frontlines.”
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AP Education Writer Collin Binkley contributed to this report.
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Source: apnews.com