The anticipated hardline immigration policies of Donald Trump's second administration, set to begin in January, have caused alarm among international students and families of undocumented immigrants.

According to CNN on the 26th, some universities have advised international students who are home for winter break to return to the U.S. before Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2025. This warning stems from concerns that the new administration may issue entry bans for certain countries.

Additionally, Tom Homan, nominated as Trump's "border czar" to lead mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, stated in an interview with The Washington Post on the 26th that families with U.S.-born children would be detained together. This announcement has further heightened anxieties among affected families.

In his first term, Trump issued travel bans for citizens of certain Muslim-majority countries and revoked student visas for individuals from nations with anti-American or anti-Semitic sentiments. Currently, over 1.1 million international students are enrolled in U.S. universities, including 43,000 from South Korea. These students hold non-immigrant student visas, which allow them to study in the U.S. but do not guarantee legal residency. Many fear they may be unable to re-enter the U.S., potentially jeopardizing their education.

Pramas Paratab Misra, a 23-year-old graduate of NYU with a degree in political science and originally from India, told CNN, "This is a time of fear for international students." Universities with large international student populations, such as NYU and USC, are urging students to return to the U.S. before the inauguration.

USC, with 17,000 international students, issued an email stating, "While it is uncertain whether an entry ban will be enacted, the safest course of action is to return to the U.S. before the spring semester begins on January 13." Cornell University warned that entry bans might follow Trump's inauguration, potentially targeting countries like North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, and others with anti-U.S. stances, as well as possibly China and India.

Meanwhile, Tom Homan revealed plans to detain families with U.S.-born children and deport them together. He stated, "Undocumented immigrants knowingly chose to have children despite their illegal status," and emphasized that it is their responsibility for placing their families in such situations. This marks a return to family detention policies ended by the Biden administration for humanitarian reasons.

Homan added, "We will need to build family facilities. The required capacity will depend on the data," signaling plans to expand detention centers. Trump has also pledged to conduct the largest deportation operation in U.S. history on his first day in office, selecting Homan as the leader for this effort.



<Sehee Roh>