The Trump administration’s crackdown on foreign students is pushing some to rethink their plans in the U.S.
So far in his second term, President Donald Trump tightened restrictions on student visas, including requiring students to make their social media accounts public for review, and banned travel from 39 countries and of individuals using documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
Earlier this year, the administration also abruptly revoked visas from hundreds of international students and terminated the records of thousands more for minor infractions, putting their ability to work and study in the U.S. in peril.
A proposed change, which is being considered next year, would cap the amount of time students are allowed to stay in the U.S. without having to renew their status. This would likely apply to incoming students and not current ones.
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A graduate student, who asked to be referred to by his nickname Aaron, is from Trinidad and Tobago and is studying at the University of South Florida. Aaron said he fears retaliation for speaking on U.S. politics.
USF has consistently been among the top destinations for international students in the state. However, the number of international students enrolling dropped after a post-pandemic surge, which is consistent with a national trend.
In addition, Aaron said attitudes toward foreign students like him seem to be changing with the current political climate.
"If someone's trying to reduce the amount of international students in a country, you start to feel like, how little are they going to whittle this down to, you know?" Aaron said, "You can kind of get the picture that, perhaps, you're not as welcome as before."
Aaron said students who are coming from countries where the currency exchange rate isn't in their favor are "giving up a lot" to study in the U.S.
He said graduate students are paid between $16,000 to $24,000 a year, a range that sits below the living wage in Tampa.
"International students are going through a lot of stress, and putting themselves on the line, basically, to be here," he said, "As much as we want to be here, we want to feel like we're wanted."
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Another graduate student, who asked to be called her last initial "R," is from a country in South Asia. She fears being targeted for her views as well.
R said she's seeing a lot of "polarization" and that some politicians are acting in ways she feels are contrary to what the United States stands for.
"I have high expectations that the U.S. is supposed to be very diverse, very open and ... give opportunities for everyone equally and give opportunities for free speech as well."
This year, the Trump administration imposed new limits on the H-1B visa, including a $100,000 fee for new applicants. The H-1B program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers with at least a bachelor's degree for high-skilled positions when they can't find U.S.-born workers.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has talked as well about curbing the use of H-1Bs in Florida universities.
R said she believes the U.S. "has a good image in the world's eyes" because of its diversity.
"The power comes from the diversities of the people who have different backgrounds, who have different perspectives," she said.
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Students who are already in the U.S. with a valid visa shouldn't have to pay the new $100,000 fee if they switch to working under an H-1B after graduation.
But Aaron said he's already hearing from peers who are second-guessing their place in the U.S. because of changing policies that are making it harder to stay or immigrate to the states.
"Given the amount of trouble that they're going to make things like H-1B visas difficult — it gives you the sense that it might be more worth your time to just look elsewhere," said Aaron. "It seems like going to an extraordinary length, with current policies, to put a lot of eggs in one basket."
