On a summer vacation from a doctoral degree. The program, an international student at the University of California at San Diego, was planning a trip with several friends to Hawaii. But after seeing international students in the United States, deprived of their legal status, the student decided against him.
Every trip, even inside the United States, just didn’t seem a risk.
“I will probably skip this to … I have as many interactions with governments as possible,” said the student who speaks for anonymity of fear of being directed.
International students who weigh the trip to see the family, take a vacation or conduct research, think twice because of the repression of the Trump administration, which added a sense of vulnerability.
Even before students suddenly start losing permission to study in the United States, some colleges encourage international students and teachers to postpone the trip, citing government efforts to deport students participating in propalists. As the scale of termination has emerged in recent weeks, more schools have warned more of non -essential trips abroad for international students.
The University of California, Berkeley, for one, issued a consultant last week, saying that the upcoming international trip was risky due to “strict verification and implementation”.
At least 1220 students in 187 colleges, universities and university systems have terminated their visas or legal status since the end of March, according to an review of the Associated Press of University Statements, Correspondence with School Employees and Court Records.
However, the number of students concerned seems far more. At least 4 736 international visa records are terminated in a government database that maintains their legal status, according to immigration on April 10 and customs law enforcement of congressional investigations.
Suddenly at risk of deportation, some students were hiding while others left the country alone. Many students said they had only minor violations in their records or did not know why their records were removed.
After federal judges raised the fears of the case of several students, the US government canceled the termination, but then issued new guidance, expanding the reasons that international students could lose their legal status in the future.
According to the new policy, valid reasons for terminating the condition include cancellation of visas that students have used to enter the United States in the past, if the student’s visa has been canceled, they can usually remain in the United States to graduate from school. They just couldn’t re -enter if they left the country.
The rapidly developing situation left colleges to struggle to advise students.
An employee of the Michigan College, who helps international students to navigate the visa process, said they were wondering more than ever about the summer trip. An employee who speaks on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak with the media has said he often failed to give enough answers.
Last year, the United States hosted about 1.1 million international students, a source of basic revenue from training in many schools. Defenders say this number is likely to shrink as repression hurts America’s appeal.
Over the last few weeks, the Rishi Fluch Immigration Law Firm in North Carolina has received calls for travel risks almost daily from people with diverse immigration status, including international students.
“You somehow shook your head and say,” Is this the hero of the country we want? “Oh said. “It just seems to be a bit of the impact that people are afraid to leave and whether they will be able to return.”
Students in the US with a visa have to decide if their travels are critical, Oh said.
When attempting to re -enter the country, they must bring immigration documents, school transcripts and even court documents if they are charged with a crime and the court dismissed the case. After all, lawyers cannot predict what will happen at the airport, he said.
The unpredictability placed an international student at the University of Illinois in trouble. The student who asked for anonymity to avoid directed is reduced as one of his classmates left the country after their law has been terminated.
The student’s plan to travel to his home country in Asia this summer is a sense of panic, but he has nowhere to stay. He bought his aircraft and is engaged in the trip. His anxiety of what can happen when he returns, however, is still there.
“At the moment,” he said, “I’m afraid I may not be back.” ___
Associated Press reporter Christopher L. Keller contributed to Albukerke, New Mexico.
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