Several universities are issuing warnings to international students to return to campus before President-elect Donald Trump retakes the presidency over concerns about travel restrictions.
During his first term, Trump enacted various restrictions and travel bans to countries that were deemed threats to the United States, including Libya, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea, and Venezuela. Several schools, such as Northeastern University, have warned foreign students to arrive back on campus prior to Trump’s swearing-in on Jan. 20 to avoid being prevented from returning.
“We are encouraging members of the Northeastern community to be proactive with international travel plans during the upcoming months,” the school said.
“To minimize potential disruption to your studies, work, or research, we strongly recommend returning to the U.S. no later than January 6, 2025, the start of Northeastern’s Winter/Spring academic term. This will allow you to be present on campus before possible restrictions take effect,” the November announcement continued.
Other schools that have issued similar warnings include Harvard, Cornell, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Massachusetts.
“Assess your travel plans over the Winter Break,” the MIT message said. “As mentioned, the new administration will be sworn in on January 20, 2025, and new Executive Orders that may impact travel and visa processing may be implemented on or after that date.”
Most universities are currently in their winter recess until the first few weeks of January, just before the new administration takes office. Trump has not made any announcements about impacts to international students since winning the election, but he did say during a 2023 rally that he would reinstate the previous travel ban and also revoke student visas of “radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners.”
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The universities that have issued messages tend to be more left-liberal institutions and have also insisted that the warnings are precautionary. In the UMass message to students and faculty, the school specifically warns that the advice to return prior to Jan. 20 is “not a requirement or mandate from UMass, nor is it based on any current U.S. government policy or recommendation.”
Trump’s changes to policy can begin shortly after noon on Jan. 20, after he is sworn in. A president will typically sign several executive orders into law shortly after taking office.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
