The University of Southern California is urging international students currently abroad to return to the state as soon as possible in time for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The advisory was issued by the University of Southern California’s Office of International Services, according to the university’s student newsroom.
According to Annenberg Media, an email was sent to students with F-1 and J-1 visas encouraging them to return home for winter break for fear of being denied entry after the inauguration.
President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be inaugurated for a second time on January 20, 2025, raising concerns about how his administration will handle student visas and international travel visas.
President Trump suggests using military to deport people
Trump, who has campaigned extensively to end illegal immigration, vowed shortly after taking office to deport millions of illegal immigrants with the help of the U.S. military.
It is unclear whether his administration plans to restrict student visas, although he has expressed the idea in the past. In his first week in office, the former president signed executive orders that placed severe restrictions on Muslim-majority countries, Venezuela and North Korea.
FILE – The University Village area of the University of Southern California is seen in Los Angeles on March 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)
USC has the largest number of international students of any California university, with more than 17,000 students from outside the United States in the fall semester, making up more than a quarter of the student body.
The school joins a chorus of other prestigious universities, including Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in encouraging international students to get their affairs in order and return to the United States as soon as possible.
International students are encouraged to carry important travel documents and ensure they are up to date before re-entering the country, Annenberg Media reported.
For additional resources or assistance with reentry complications, international students should call the USC Immigration Clinic Hotline at 213-740-7435.
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