Amid looming uncertainties about their return to the U.S. for the fall semester, a Harvard international student has spoken out against President Donald Trump's administration, pointing to its failure to address the struggles faced by thousands on the brink of deportation.
In a report by the U.S. State Department's educational and cultural affairs bureau, the number of international students in American colleges and universities hit a record high of over 1.1 million in the 2023 to 2024 schoolyear. However, the figure is expected to be influenced by Trump's stricter policies on student visas and funding for universities, causing applicants to feel anxious about their chances of admission and current students to fret over their visa status.
During an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Pakistani student Abdullah Shahid Sial, also the Student Body Co-President of Harvard Undergraduate Association, shared the challenges he and hundreds of thousands of other international students are confronting.
"I haven't had the time yet to think about my backup plans, but as of now, I don't think anyone is sure if they can return for their fall semester back into Harvard and more broadly, back into the U.S. In that case, I would have to look for other options. I haven't looked at the list yet for the next available ones because most transfer windows for most colleges have already been closed. But I also want to make it very, very clear that deporting international students doesn't solve any of this. We don't have any provided mechanism by President Trump's administration that deporting internationals in this particular manner will solve any of these issues. So, as far as the public is concerned, I definitely agree with them. I think most people agree with that. It's really unfortunate that thousands of international students who have come again so many miles away from their own respective countries and don't have any family in the U.S. need to face all of these issues on their own," Sial said.
On May 22, Trump administration revoked Harvard University's certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effectively barring the institution from enrolling new international students.
In addition to barring enrollment of future international students, "existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status," said U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which announced the decision.
In response, Harvard issued a statement calling the administration's action unlawful and harmful.
Harvard student highlights plight of int'l students, criticizes Trump's deportation policies
Harvard student highlights plight of int'l students, criticizes Trump's deportation policies
