CSULB advises international students to return to U.S. ahead of Trump inauguration
Heading into the winter break, the school’s administration emailed students regarding the uncertainty surrounding the president-elect’s potential immigration policies.
Out of an “abundance of caution,” Cal State Long Beach Student Affairs emailed students Wednesday urging international students traveling abroad during the winter break to return ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
The university noted that Trump has indicated plans to sign one or more executive orders related to immigration such as instituting travel bans similar to those he put in place on countries like Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen in 2017.
On the campaign trail leading into the 2024 presidential election, Trump said he would expand the previous travel band, which the Biden Administration rescinded in 2021, to include Gaza and “anywhere else that threatens our security.”
Trump also has said that he views China as a national security threat on numerous fronts, including cybersecurity and trade.
“Potential executive actions, such as travel bans, may pose risks to those attempting to return to the U.S., even from neighboring countries like Mexico and Canada,” the email reads, adding that it is not a requirement or mandate. “However the incoming presidential administration has indicated plans to declare a national state of emergency to implement immediate border and immigration actions on Jan. 20.”
The university’s spring semester begins on Jan. 21.
The email also included contact information for emotional support through CSULB’s Counseling & Psychological Services department and free legal support for immigration services.
According to a Migration Policy Institute analysis, there were 5.8 million immigrant-origin students, which made up 32% of all students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities in 2022. The figure was a 20% increase from 2000.
Cal State Long Beach, meanwhile, welcomes more than 3,000 international students and visitors each year from more than 100 countries, according to the school’s website.
Long Beach is not the only institution advising international students to be cautious ahead of inauguration day. Earlier this month, USC sent a similar email to students saying the best way to avoid any added challenges is to be in the country before the spring semester begins on Jan. 13.
In an email Thursday, a USC spokesperson noted that the Office of International Services "communicates regularly with international students and reminds them each semester about requirements."
The University of Massachusetts Amherst, meanwhile, issued an advisory for international students and staff urging them to “strongly consider” returning to the states prior to Jan. 20, specifically citing the first Trump administration’s 2017 travel bans.
"We are not able to speculate on what a travel ban will look like if enacted, nor can we speculate on what particular countries or regions of the world may or may not be affected,” UMass wrote.
At Yale University, the Office of International Students and Scholars hosted a Nov. 20 webinar to address students’ concerns regarding their visas following the presidential election, according to the Yale Daily News.
“I don’t know about very specific policies, but my general impression is that the Trump government will be strict about immigrants and international students,” Donghyung Lee, a scholar from South Korea at the Divinity School, told the student newspaper. “One thing I’m sure about is that I’m feeling quite anxious.”
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