Indians caught in crossfire of Trump's international student ban
Indians looking to study at American universities are among students worldwide reeling from the Trump administration's order to pause foreign student visa appointments. The US has ordered its embassies around the world to pause new student visa appointments to screen applicants' social media activities. Indian students last year became the largest international student group in the US, surpassing China's. Ishan Garg reports from New Delhi.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Shops near Harvard brace for revenue drop as Trump suspends visas for new international students
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts: Small businesses near Harvard University are worried about a loss of revenue as United States President Donald Trump's tussle with the Ivy League school over international students continues. Just outside the university campus is Harvard Square, a bustling cultural and commercial hub with a lively mix of eateries, cafes, bookstores and other shops. Kari Kuelzer, owner of Grendel's Den Restaurant & Bar – a pub that has called the square home for more than 50 years – told CNA that students account for a third of her business. Kuelzer said she is unsure if her pub, which was opened by her parents, can survive if Harvard is forced to shut its doors to foreign students. 'Where are we going to get those dollars? They're not going to just magically materialise,' she said. Like Grendel's Den, many establishments in the area are locally-owned and rely heavily on students as a key source of income. IMPACT ON LOCAL BUSINESSES There are around 6,800 international students at Harvard, making up about a quarter of the university's student body. The Harvard Square Business Association, which represents more than 300 stores in the district, is worried about the impact on its members if Trump successfully restricts foreign nationals from studying at the elite school. When asked about how retailers are preparing for the possibility of fewer students, Denise Jillson, executive director of the association, said that shop owners may resort to adopting measures used during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was less footfall. 'Reduction of staff, reduction of hours, less choices on the menu,' she said. Jillson noted, however, that there were government subsidies available during the pandemic to offset a loss of business, unlike the current situation where there is no support. 'We don't have that safeguard now,' she added. LONG-TERM, NATIONWIDE IMPACT Beyond Harvard, experts said contributions by foreign students can be felt far and wide across the nation, and often last much longer than their college years. Data from the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) revealed that more than 1.1 million international students in the US contributed nearly US$44 billion to its economy last year, including spending on tuition, housing, food and entertainment. Foreign students typically pay full tuition fees, making them a vital revenue stream for schools faced with declining domestic enrolment – which, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, fell 15 per cent between 2010 and 2021. Barnet Sherman, a corporate finance professor at Boston University, said that roughly one job is created for every three international students, making up about 350,000 jobs in the country. 'These are not just jobs in larger urban centres like Boston, but across the country, because nearly every city and town across America has a school, either a community college or a local state college, and there are a lot of international students coming,' he added. He noted that 25 per cent of the billion-dollar companies on the US stock exchanges were started by international students. '(The) implication is that it's not just the money that is potentially being lost now, but the multiplier effect of this money over time and the number of jobs and wealth that international students have created and will continue to create,' he added. WHAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN TRUMP AND HARVARD? In mid-April, the Trump administration ordered the freezing of billions of dollars in federal funding to Harvard. It accused the university of allowing anti-Semitism to flourish on campus and discriminating in its enrolment and hiring practices – claims that Harvard has strongly denied. The White House on May 22 tried to revoke the university's ability to enrol international students. A day later, a judge temporarily blocked the move. On Wednesday (Jun 4), Trump signed an executive order suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programmes at Harvard. The dispute between Trump and the nation's oldest, wealthiest and most prestigious university is still ongoing. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also previously announced the federal government will 'aggressively' revoke the visas of Chinese students nationwide, especially those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.
CNA
5 hours ago
- CNA
Anger as US blocks Gaza ceasefire resolution at UN Security Council
UNITED NATIONS: UN Security Council members criticised the United States on Wednesday (Jun 5) after it vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, which Washington said undermined ongoing diplomacy. It was the 15-member body's first vote on the situation since November, when the US - a key Israeli ally - also blocked a text calling for an end to fighting. "Today, the United States sent a strong message by vetoing a counterproductive UN Security Council resolution on Gaza targeting Israel," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement after Wednesday's 14 to 1 vote. He said Washington would not support any text that "draws a false equivalence between Israel and Hamas, or disregards Israel's right to defend itself. "The United States will continue to stand with Israel at the UN." The draft resolution had demanded "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties". It also called for the "immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups", and demanded the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Hamas, whose unprecedented attack inside Israel on Oct 7, 2023 sparked the war, condemned the "disgraceful" US veto, reiterating accusations of "genocide" in Gaza, something Israel vehemently rejects. The veto "marks a new stain on the ethical record of the United States of America," the group said in a statement, accusing Washington of "legitimising genocide, supporting aggression, and rationalising starvation, destruction, and mass killings". "MORAL STAIN" Pakistan's ambassador to the UN Asim Ahmad meanwhile said the failed resolution would "remain not only a moral stain on the conscience of this council, but a fateful moment of political application that will reverberate for generations". China's ambassador to the UN Fu Cong said "today's vote result once again exposes that the root cause of the council's inability to quell the conflict in Gaza is the repeated obstruction by the US." The veto marks Washington's first such action since US President Donald Trump took office in January. Israel has faced mounting international pressure to end its war in Gaza. That scrutiny has increased over flailing aid distribution in Gaza, which Israel blocked for more than two months before allowing a small number of UN vehicles to enter in mid-May. The United Nations, which warned last month the entire population in the besieged Palestinian territory was at risk of famine, said trickle was far from enough to meet the humanitarian needs. "JUDGED BY HISTORY" "The Council was prevented from shouldering its responsibility, despite the fact that most of us seem to be converging on one view," said France's ambassador to the UN Jerome Bonnafont. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, said after the Security Council vote he would now ask the General Assembly to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon however said that the Palestinian plan to put the resolution to a vote at the General Assembly, where no country can veto it, was pointless, telling countries "don't waste more of your energy". "This resolution doesn't advance humanitarian relief and undermines it. It ignores a working system in favor of political agendas," he said.
CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
US President Trump signs proclamation to restrict foreign student visas at Harvard
United States President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation restricting foreigners seeking student visas to study at Harvard University. The White House says the directive also requires US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider revoking the visas of existing international students at the institution. The move marks the latest in the administration's tussle with the Ivy League school to force it to comply with its demands. Toni Waterman reports on the economic impact of the ongoing row.
