Expert: Schools Face "Balancing Act" When Advising Foreign Students

Zachary Schermerle, USA Today, Dec. 8, 2024

"Trump’s immigration rhetoric is already impacting college students; Yale and Cornell are among the universities cautioning foreign students against international travel, while students from mixed-status families have new concerns about their FAFSA data. ... In a late November message, Cornell University administrators predicted a travel ban is “likely to go into effect soon after inauguration” and called it a “good idea” for international students and staff to be back on U.S. soil before the start of their spring semester. ... Walking the line between facts and fear was a primary concern for Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration law professor at Cornell University, as he helped draft the school’s new guidance for international students after Trump’s victory in the November election. “It’s a balancing act,” he said. “You want to provide information for people so they can prepare for possibilities without unduly alarming them.” The memo warned that a potential travel ban could target entry by travelers from the same countries affected by Trump’s first travel ban, including Iran, Syria, Nigeria and Venezuela. China and India, which it called "areas of concern," could be added to the list, too, the message said."