{"id":519,"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=519"},"modified":"2026-01-02T04:22:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T04:22:17","slug":"international-students-feel-unwelcome-amid-trump-administration-scrutiny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/international-students-feel-unwelcome-amid-trump-administration-scrutiny\/","title":{"rendered":"International students feel unwelcome amid Trump administration scrutiny"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Bre\u00adan\u00adna Bon\u00adner
UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism<\/strong>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Afra Has\u00adsan-Pour, an inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addent pur\u00adsu\u00ading her mas\u00adter\u2019s degree at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Connecticut\u2019s School of Fine Arts, said she chose to study in the Unit\u00aded States after learn\u00ading it is one of the best places in the world to study art man\u00adage\u00adment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now Has\u00adsan-Pour said the cli\u00admate in the U.S. feels increas\u00ading\u00adly hos\u00adtile toward peo\u00adple from oth\u00ader coun\u00adtries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt feels like the goal is to make things hard for every inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal per\u00adson in the U.S. and make them leave the coun\u00adtry,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd a big part of it is this hys\u00adte\u00adria, this men\u00adtal scare, this fear that is being cre\u00adat\u00aded every day through news, through media, through pro\u00adpa\u00adgan\u00adda.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the first year of Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump\u2019s sec\u00adond term, inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents have expe\u00adri\u00adenced increased polit\u00adi\u00adcal, legal and ide\u00ado\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal hos\u00adtil\u00adi\u00adty amid intense crack\u00addowns on immi\u00adgra\u00adtion and scruti\u00adny of inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal vis\u00adi\u00adtors and stu\u00addents.  More than 6,000 inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addent visas were revoked from the start of Trump\u2019s term through August, accord\u00ading to U.S. Sec\u00adre\u00adtary of State Mar\u00adco Rubio. Of those, 40 were for stu\u00addents in Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut, includ\u00ading 13 at UConn, which were lat\u00ader restored. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nation\u00adwide, the num\u00adber of new inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents enrolled in U.S. insti\u00adtu\u00adtions in fall 2025 decreased by 17%, accord\u00ading to the Open Doors 2025 data report. UConn\u2019s inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal enroll\u00adment is down almost 8% from 3,455 in fall 2024 to 3,189 in fall 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Student Enrollment Figures<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic-819x1024.png\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic-819x1024.png\" alt class=\"wp-image-708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\">
Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addent enroll\u00adment at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and at Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut col\u00adleges and uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties from fall 2024 to fall 2025. Source: UConn Fact Sheet. Graph\u00adic by Bre\u00adan\u00adna Bon\u00adner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents \u201cfeel less free and less wel\u00adcomed,\u201d said Arthur Gali\u00adnat, direc\u00adtor of UConn\u2019s Cen\u00adter for Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal Stu\u00addent Ser\u00advices and Schol\u00adars. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen an attack on uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties and inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents that we\u2019ve nev\u00ader seen before\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. hosts the great\u00adest num\u00adber of inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents glob\u00adal\u00adly, with an enter\u00ading class of around 1.1 mil\u00adlion inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents in 2024, which was about 6% of total enroll\u00adment at U.S. insti\u00adtu\u00adtions, accord\u00ading to Inside High\u00ader ED.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents attend uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty through an F\u20111 visa<\/a>, which allows them to study at an accred\u00adit\u00aded col\u00adlege or uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty. Stu\u00addent and Exchange Vis\u00adi\u00adtor Infor\u00adma\u00adtion Sys\u00adtem visa ter\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtions have led to inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents hav\u00ading their visa sta\u00adtus sud\u00adden\u00adly revoked, being removed from their jobs and becom\u00ading sub\u00adject\u00aded to depor\u00adta\u00adtion. In March, over 1,500 stu\u00addents report\u00aded a sud\u00adden change in their infor\u00adma\u00adtion sys\u00adtem list\u00ading or visa sta\u00adtus across 250 uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties, accord\u00ading to Inside High\u00ader ED. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to back\u00adlash against stu\u00addent visa revo\u00adca\u00adtions, Rubio said the actions were jus\u00adti\u00adfied. \u201cLet\u2019s remem\u00adber again \u2013 stu\u00addent visas, OK, are not a right. There is no con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal right to a stu\u00addent visa.  A stu\u00addent visa is some\u00adthing we decide to give you,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, if I would have denied you a visa had I known some\u00adthing about you\u2026why wouldn\u2019t I be able to revoke your visa?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April, the Amer\u00adi\u00adcan Civ\u00adil Lib\u00ader\u00adties Union sued the Depart\u00adment of Home\u00adland Secu\u00adri\u00adty for the sud\u00adden ter\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtion of four inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents\u2019 visas who were study\u00ading in Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut: Yan Du and Meng\u00adni He from Yale Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty, as well as Eli\u00adka Shams and Stephen Azu from UConn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Accord\u00ading to the U.S. Dis\u00adtrict Court com\u00adplaint filed by the ACLU, the plain\u00adtiffs became afraid to go to \u201clab, class, or even the gro\u00adcery store\u201d for fear of sud\u00adden depor\u00adta\u00adtion. The court ruled in the student\u2019s favor, order\u00ading the restora\u00adtion of their visas and pre\u00advent\u00ading fur\u00adther action on their sta\u00adtus by the fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment. While their sta\u00adtus was restored in late May, ACLU Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut legal direc\u00adtor Dan Bar\u00adrett said it had last\u00ading impact on inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s quite fair for those stu\u00addents to real\u00adly won\u00adder whether the oth\u00ader shoe is going to drop,\u201d Bar\u00adrett said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bar\u00adrett also not\u00aded that inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents are self-cen\u00adsor\u00ading in response to increased scruti\u00adny from the fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019re cen\u00adsor\u00ading them\u00adselves,\u201d Bar\u00adrett said. \u201cThe gov\u00adern\u00adment has, at the moment, made it real\u00adly clear that they think that there\u2019s some kind of loop\u00adhole that allows them to pun\u00adish peo\u00adple in the Unit\u00aded States for express\u00ading views, even if they express those views\u2026 before com\u00ading to the Unit\u00aded States. So yeah, I think they\u2019re keep\u00ading their heads down.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent\u00adly there have been high-pro\u00adfile cas\u00ades of inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addent visas being revoked due to their par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpa\u00adtion in protests, includ\u00ading includ\u00aded Mah\u00admoud Khalil, a Pales\u00adtin\u00adian stu\u00addent at Colum\u00adbia Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty who was arrest\u00aded in March by ICE for his involve\u00adment in a pro-Pales\u00adtin\u00adian protest.  R\u00fcmeysa \u00d6zt\u00fcrk, a PhD stu\u00addent at Tufts Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty, was detained by ICE in March after co-writ\u00ading a pro-Pales\u00adtin\u00adian op-ed for the col\u00adlege news\u00adpa\u00adper, accord\u00ading to the ACLU. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents have had to wait longer to enter the coun\u00adtry due to enhanced vet\u00adting and the extra time need\u00aded to review appli\u00adca\u00adtions. Recent\u00adly, this process has includ\u00aded social media vet\u00adting of all F, M and J visa appli\u00adca\u00adtions, accord\u00ading to a media note<\/a> from the U.S. Depart\u00adment of State.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump has also urged schools to lim\u00adit inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents. In a com\u00adpact let\u00adter<\/a> to nine uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties in Octo\u00adber 2025, Trump asked schools to lim\u00adit inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addent enroll\u00adment to no more than 15% of under\u00adgrad\u00adu\u00adate stu\u00addents to receive pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adty for fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading. Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents cur\u00adrent\u00adly make up 9.4% of UConn\u2019s stu\u00addent body, exclud\u00ading UConn health and law cam\u00adpus\u00ades, accord\u00ading to UConn spokesper\u00adson Stephanie Reitz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hwong Pham, inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addent advis\u00ader for UConn\u2019s Cen\u00adter for Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal Stu\u00addents and Schol\u00adars, said she believes that the changes and uncer\u00adtain\u00adty will lead to a nation\u00adwide decline in inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addent enroll\u00adment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe envi\u00adron\u00adment that is going on right now\u2026 every\u00adthing is so hard. The appli\u00adca\u00adtion is so hard. The visa is hard, and [inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents] might not even get it. We are mak\u00ading it more dif\u00adfi\u00adcult for them to real\u00adly even want to be here,\u201d Pham said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UConn\u2019s sta\u00adtus as a top 25 uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty draws in stu\u00addents from around the world. How\u00adev\u00ader, Thomas Kat\u00adsouleas, an engi\u00adneer\u00ading pro\u00adfes\u00adsor who pre\u00advi\u00adous\u00adly served as UConn pres\u00adi\u00addent, said the nation\u00adal cli\u00admate has shift\u00aded.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey just feel a gen\u00ader\u00adal sense of being less wel\u00adcome, and they also have clear\u00adly lost the abil\u00adi\u00adty to have the free speech that we as cit\u00adi\u00adzens have,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kat\u00adsouleas said he believes that the pres\u00adence of inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents is inte\u00adgral to the learn\u00ading envi\u00adron\u00adment at UConn and oth\u00ader insti\u00adtu\u00adtions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe argu\u00adment has always been\u2026that the stu\u00addent learn\u00ading expe\u00adri\u00adence was enhanced by hav\u00ading a diverse cohort of peers, and there\u2019s research to sup\u00adport that,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents con\u00adtribute to U.S. inno\u00adva\u00adtion, often stay\u00ading in the coun\u00adtry after grad\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion on an H1B visa to work in spe\u00adcial\u00adized fields. Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents con\u00adtribute over $44 bil\u00adlion<\/a> to the econ\u00ado\u00admy annu\u00adal\u00adly, accord\u00ading to the Coun\u00adcil on For\u00adeign Rela\u00adtions.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some stu\u00addents say the poli\u00adcies have led to dai\u00adly anx\u00adi\u00adety and hyper\u00advig\u00adi\u00adlance. Chizobam Nweke, a doc\u00adtor\u00adal stu\u00addent from Nige\u00adria, said he now always car\u00adries two copies of his immi\u00adgra\u00adtion doc\u00adu\u00adments, \u201cjust in case.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though it some\u00adtimes feels extreme, Has\u00adsan-Pour and her part\u00adner do the same. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cBased on the cur\u00adrent sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion, we need to be ready to show doc\u00adu\u00adments to who\u00adev\u00ader is try\u00ading to per\u00adse\u00adcute us or what\u00adev\u00ader hap\u00adpens \u2014 espe\u00adcial\u00adly like see\u00ading all the videos on social media and on the news and how immi\u00adgrant peo\u00adple are treat\u00aded,\u201d Has\u00adsan-Pour said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 As pol\u00adi\u00adcy con\u00adtin\u00adues chang\u00ading and uncer\u00adtain\u00adty lingers, Has\u00adsan-Pour has a request for the broad\u00ader com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty look\u00ading to sup\u00adport inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I want them to know is how impor\u00adtant it is to be acces\u00adsi\u00adble to peo\u00adple who are liv\u00ading in this kind of sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion,\u201d Has\u00adsan-Pour said. \u201cIf they text you and they want to talk to you, please make time for them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna Heqi\u00admi con\u00adtributed report\u00ading to this arti\u00adcle.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Bre\u00adan\u00adna Bon\u00adnerUConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism Afra Has\u00adsan-Pour, an inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addent pur\u00adsu\u00ading her mas\u00adter\u2019s degree at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Connecticut\u2019s School of Fine Arts, said she chose to study in the Unit\u00aded States after learn\u00ading it is one of the best places in the world to study art man\u00adage\u00adment.  Now Has\u00adsan-Pour said the cli\u00admate in the U.S. feels increas\u00ading\u00adly hos\u00adtile toward peo\u00adple from oth\u00ader coun\u00adtries.  \u201cIt feels like the goal is to make things hard for every inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal per\u00adson in the U.S. and [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1153,"featured_media":708,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,11],"tags":[25,26,30,34,29,24,23,31,28],"class_list":["post-519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-immigration","tag-education","tag-f-1-visas","tag-higher-education","tag-immigration","tag-international","tag-international-students","tag-trump","tag-uconn","tag-university"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":334,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/uncertainty-roils-schools-as-trump-targets-k-12\/","url_meta":{"origin":519,"position":0},"title":"Uncertainty roils schools as Trump targets K\u201112","author":"Bridget Bronsdon","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"It started almost right away. Within nine days of President Donald Trump\u2019s return to office, he set his sights on education.","rel":"","context":"In "Education"","block_context":{"text":"Education","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1709,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/07\/explainer-video-series-an-overview-on-presidential-power\/","url_meta":{"origin":519,"position":1},"title":"Video explainer series: An overview on presidential power","author":"Lily Goldblatt","date":"January 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Lily GoldblattUConn Journalism Following President Donald Trump's return to office in January 2025, his administration has taken an expansive interpretation of executive power and broadened the scope of the executive branch exponentially. 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