Trump-era deportations rattle US campuses as over 4,000 foreign students face removal
As a wave of deportation threats sweeps across US campuses, over 4,000 foreign students—many of them from India—are facing potential removal under the Trump administration's renewed immigration crackdown. University officials, legal experts, and students themselves are scrambling to respond, with many fearing not only for their education but also their safety and future.
With a record 1.1 million international students currently studying in the US, the stakes are high. According to the Association of American Universities, these students contributed $44 billion to the US economy last year. Now, that investment—and the global talent pipeline behind it—appears increasingly at risk.
Students warned, lawyers called in
In recent weeks, immigration agents have arrested students connected to pro-Palestinian protests, while thousands more have been targeted for deportation over minor offences or past arrests. According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deleted over 4,700 names from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), with nearly half of them being Indian nationals. Many of these students were participating in post-graduate work experience under Optional Practical Training.
As reported by Reuters, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, stated, 'If you are in our country illegally, we will arrest, we will deport you, and you will never return.'
In response, US universities have begun advising international students to stay enrolled, seek legal representation, and avoid international travel. An official from a major university, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said, 'Those who contest being deleted from SEVIS would be allowed to continue studying.'
Legal battles and university support grow
At least 200 students who were removed from SEVIS have secured court orders preventing immediate deportation, according to Reuters. Immigration attorney Clay Greenberg told Reuters, 'For the most part, the students I've spoken to, their schools are permitting them to keep attending classes.'
Institutions including George Mason University and the University of California are exploring ways for affected students to complete their studies. Rachel Zaentz, a spokesperson for the UC Office of the President, confirmed this approach to Reuters.
Indian students at the centre of the storm
Over half of the international student population in the US hails from India and China. Indian students, in particular, appear to be disproportionately impacted. In one case reported by Reuters, an Indian undergraduate in Georgia said his visa status was revoked after being linked to a DUI charge that was ultimately dismissed. 'My college is letting me continue,' he said, adding that he now avoids anyone in uniform.
Self-deportation and rising fear
Some students have already chosen to leave the country voluntarily. As reported by Reuters, Momadou Taal, a dual citizen of the UK and Gambia and a protest leader at Cornell University, left in March after being told to surrender to immigration officials. 'I'll be able to finish up remotely,' he said.
Duke University recently warned its international students not to leave the US during summer break, fearing they may not be allowed back in. According to Reuters, one Indian graduate student said students now fear deportation for minor infractions like speeding or simply being fingerprinted.
A threat to American academic identity
MIT President Sally Kornbluth, quoted by Reuters, underscored the gravity of the situation, saying her institution 'would be gravely diminished without the students and scholars who join us from other nations.'
As universities brace for the summer break, the Trump-era deportation surge is testing the resilience of international education in the US—and the country's ability to remain a beacon for global talent.
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