A growing number of US colleges and universities are advising international students to return to campus before president-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, over concerns that he might impose travel bans like he did during his first administration.
More than a dozen schools have issued advisories, even though Trump’s plans remain uncertain.
At some schools, the spring term begins before Trump will take office, so students may have to be back in class anyway. But for anyone whose ability to stay in the United States depends on an academic visa, they say it is best to reduce their risks and get back to campus before January 20.
What did Trump do in the past?
Trump issued an executive order in January 2017 banning travel to the US by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries – Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.
Travellers from those nations were either barred from getting on their flights or detained at US airports after they landed. They included students and faculty as well as businesspeople, tourists and visitors to friends and family.
Trump later removed some countries and added others to the list – 15 nations were affected at some point during his presidency.
More than 40,000 people were ultimately refused visas because of the ban, according to the US State Department. President Joe Biden rescinded the orders when he took office in 2021.