HYDERABAD: Universities in the USA have advised international students pursuing education there and staff to return to campus before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office in January, amid fears over the immigration policies and mass deportations.
Concerns increased following Trump vowed to implement strict immigration measures, including mass deportations and the construction of detention facilities for undocumented immigrants, during his campaign for the Presidential election in the USA.
Over 4 lakh undocumented students are enrolled for higher education in the USA, according to the Higher Education Immigration Portal. University administrators fear that changes in visa regulations and travel restrictions could disrupt the education of the students.
Growing fear
“Students are incredibly overwhelmed and stressed out now as a result of the uncertainty around immigration policy,” said Chloe East, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver, told the BBC recently. She added that many students worry about whether they would be allowed to continue their studies.
Universities such as the University of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Wesleyan University have issued travel advisories, urging international students to return to the USA before Trump takes charge.
“Based on previous experience with travel bans that were enacted in the first Trump Administration in 2016, the Office of Global Affairs is making this advisory out of an abundance of caution,” the University of Massachusetts said.
Trump’s first presidential tenure saw the implementation of immigration restrictions, including a travel ban targeting several Muslim nations, North Korea, and Venezuela. His administration attempted to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, which protects migrants brought to the USA as children.