Latest news with #AlfredWilliamson
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Harvard student from Wales feels ‘dehumanised' after Trump's block on international students
A Welsh Harvard University student says he feels 'dehumanised' amid Donald Trump's attempts to revoke the school's right to host international students. Alfred Williamson said that he does not know whether he will be allowed to return to complete his studies, stating that it will be a 'long, hard fight'. He told Times Radio: 'We have to sit here and wait for the White House to determine the trajectory of our lives and that just isn't a very nice experience for the whole international community.' Last week, the Department of Homeland Security said the administration had voided Harvard's visa programme 'as a result of their failure to adhere to the law'. This has since been blocked by a federal judge, and Harvard has filed a lawsuit accusing the administration of violating the First Amendment.
CNN
a day ago
- General
- CNN
‘As soon as they give in, Trump wins': Harvard international student urges the school to keep standing up
Alfred Williamson, a Harvard international student who just finished his freshman year, speaks with CNN's John Berman about the uncertainty he is facing due to President Trump's plans to restrict student visas.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Welsh first year at Harvard fears Trump ban will stop him finishing degree
A British freshman at Harvard fears he will not be able to return to the US to complete his degree after Donald Trump demanded it stops teaching international students. Alfred Williamson, 20, from Cardiff, left Boston when the academic year ended two weeks ago to visit family in Denmark, only to wake up on 23 May to dozens of missed calls and messages from loved ones about the decision to prevent the Ivy League university from enrolling or retaining foreign nationals. Approximately a quarter of Harvard's 30,000-strong student body comes from abroad. The university filed a lawsuit last week challenging the government order and on Thursday a Boston judge issued a two-week injunction but the futures of thousands of students like Williamson remain uncertain. 'I was in shock. I had kept a close eye on Trump's threats but I never thought he'd actually do it, I thought it was just a scare tactic,' said the physics and government student. 'People struggled for years to study somewhere like this only for it to be taken away in a matter of moments and we are being called illegal immigrants and aliens. Things are moving quickly and no one knows what to expect.' The Trump administration has demanded that Harvard's international students transfer to other universities in order to hang on to their visas. Both Germany and Hong Kong have floated the idea of hosting 'exile campuses' for international students unable to return to the school, but Harvard has yet to respond to the proposals. Since taking office in January, Ivy League and other elite US universities have been in Trump's crosshairs, with the president repeatedly accusing Harvard of kowtowing to 'wokism' and 'radical left lunatics' as well as fostering violence and antisemitism since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. He has also claimed, without providing evidence, the university is coordinating with the Chinese Communist party. Williamson has also wondered whether the US president singled him out during the announcement of the new measures targeting Harvard. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion 'They're taking people from areas of the world that are very radicalised and we don't want them making trouble in our country,' Trump said earlier this week. 'I saw yesterday that in the middle of the UK, there was a nice young man who wants to go back to school at Harvard and he looked good to me but I want to check.' 'The mood on campus after Trump was elected was very difficult, people were scared. Rumours Ice agents were around would spread and the international students would all go hide in their dorms,' Williamson said. He has not yet heard if his visa has been renewed for next year. He is aware that some peers have already faced delays and other issues, but the university has been 'very supportive'. While he is unsure about whether he will be able to continue his studies at Harvard, for now, Williamson said he is not entertaining the idea of applying or transferring elsewhere. He added: 'My first year at Harvard was the best year of my life. I don't want to give up on that unless there is no other choice.'
CNN
2 days ago
- General
- CNN
‘As soon as they give in, Trump wins': Harvard international student urges the school to keep standing up
Alfred Williamson, a Harvard international student who just finished his freshman year, speaks with CNN's John Berman about the uncertainty he is facing due to President Trump's plans to restrict student visas.
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Politics
- Wales Online
'Devastated' Welsh Harvard student fears Donald Trump may stop him ever returning to campus
'Devastated' Welsh Harvard student fears Donald Trump may stop him ever returning to campus Alfred Williamson said he was 'determined' to keep his place at the Ivy League College despite an escalating row between Donald Trump's administration and the university Alfred Williamson has just completed his first year at Harvard University (Image: Reuters ) Welsh student Alfred Williamson was living the dream. A former pupil of Kings Monkton School in Cardiff, Alfred had just wrapped up his first year at the prestigious University of Harvard, studying physics and government, a world away from his old south Wales classroom. The Ivy League campus had quickly become a second home; a place of opportunity and inspiration. As he set off to Denmark for his summer break, the 20-year-old was already counting the days until he could return. However, for Alfred and thousands of others, that return has been cast in doubt. According to Harvard's records, the university had enrolled over 6,700 international students last academic year, which made up 27% of its student body. Alfred Williamson has just completed his first year at Harvard University (Image: Reuters ) Alfred is among those caught in the crossfire of a growing dispute between US President Donald Trump and Harvard, a conflict centred on the administration's efforts to restrict the enrolment and retention of international students at the university. It was announced that the Trump administration had revoked the school's ability to enrol foreign students attending the school on visa; forcing any current international students to transfer or ultimately lose their legal status. "Harvard wants to fight. They want to show how smart they are, and they're getting their ass kicked," President Trump had stated. Since taking office in January, it is reported that the Trump administration has taken aim at Ivy League schools, with Harvard facing particular criticism; accused of fostering violence, antisemitism and even working with the Chinese Communist Party, despite no evidence being provided. Hundreds of international students have been left devastated by the Trump administration's decision (Image: Reuters ) While a federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked the order, the news has left many students scrambling for what to do next as they remain in the dark over what will happen after the summer. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here "When the news hit, I was in complete and utter shock that he did do it," Alfred said, recalling the moment he learned of the decision. "I didn't know how to respond; I didn't know what to feel; I didn't know what to think; I didn't know if I'd be an illegal immigrant suddenly, or as they describe people like us, aliens. Yeah, so it was very devastating news." Speaking to The New York Times, Alfred added that he had messaged a friend from the UK, asking if they should consider a transfer to Oxford or Cambridge, a conversation that would have seemed unthinkable in the weeks prior. "People are taking this very seriously," he said. "Everyone's freaking out. No-one knows what to do." Alfred is determined to maintain his place at the university, which he has come to love (Image: Reuters ) Some students, wary of a backlash, have told Reuters that they have hesitated to speak out publicly, in fear of being targeted by US authorities. Alfred admitted that while he shared those concerns, he felt he had an obligation to speak out. "I think that the point where people begin to self-silence is a very dangerous path. When people start to self-silence, we are no longer living in a democracy. And, for me, it's absolutely critical that I voice my opinion so that we preserve these values that America was founded on. In fact, the ideals of freedom and rights." In light of this, Alfred said he was unwilling to contemplate the prospect of transferring to a different university. Regardless of his fear, he is determined to remain at Harvard, arguing that the international community contributes a lot to the United States. "I really, really keep my fingers crossed for the whole international (student) community because they are currently having a very bad experience with what's going on right now." This sentiment has been echoed in a recent Tweet by Harvard University, which simply stated: "Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard." Content cannot be displayed without consent Article continues below
