Career pathways in US dim for international students as Trump cracks down on visas
'The message being sent now is that: You are not one of us, and we are going to get rid of you,' said Marko, who asked that only his first name be used because he is worried about being targeted for removal from the country.
He has lived in the U.S. for a decade spanning college and graduate school, but his family and friends back home have encouraged him to leave. His hope is that he gets the OPT extension and can then apply for an H-1B visa and continue his life in the U.S., but he also worries about anti-immigrant sentiment and who will be targeted next.
Guy, an HIV researcher at Mount Sinai Hospital who declined to provide his last name for fear of retaliation, came to the United States in 2018 for a PhD program at New York University. He's now in his second year of OPT and would have to return to the United Kingdom if the program was terminated. Although he still feels welcome in New York City, he said it feels like there's a 'war on immigrants in this country.'
'It's not a particularly attractive place to stay and do science right now,' he said.
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