By Matthew Becerra, March 5, 2025
As President Donald Trump returns to the White House, international students in the U.S., including around 1,000 international students who attend Cal Poly Pomona, are closely monitoring potential changes to visa policies, anticipating possible restrictions or increased scrutiny that could impact their ability to study, work and travel.
Trump already signed the executive orderto punish individuals involved in antisemitism, targeting especially international students who participated in protests over the war in Gaza. The executive order on tighter national security calls for vetting and screening of foreign nationals who intend to come or are already in the United States.
Marcos S. Scauso, an assistant professor from Cal Poly Pomona’s political science department who has closely followed immigration law, raised concerns about whether increased invetting of international students would apply retroactively to already-issued visas.
“That’s one of the concerns,” Scauso siad. “When we talk about these ways of analysis, just like with other policies, are we talking about retroactively analyzing the visas that have already been given? Or are we talking about analyzing more deeply? Vetting more deeply the visas that will be given?”
Beyond the technical aspects of visas, Scauso also highlighted broader fears regarding freedom of speech, particularly in light of recent student protests at other universities.
“The concerns, for example, for students’ visas in connection to pro-Palestine demonstrations, for instance, is scary in the sense that now protesting, which should be a right that we have with freedom of speech, is now under the table for students with visas,” Scauso said. “If you have a student visa and you were involved in some of these protests, you’re now at risk of losing your visa, getting deported, or not getting a visa renewal.”
According to Scauso, these concerns extend beyond student visas and into academia itself, .including research funding and studies publication.
“What if you’re publishing a paper?” Scauso questioned. “What if you’re, going to a conference?Do you have to think about the titles that you use for your papers now if you’re a political scientist, for example?”
This concern is already an issue, as Trump executive orders that roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and target federally funded research studies that include specific terminology could potentially jeopardize academic freedom at schools like UC San Diego, according to KPBS.
Scauso said the political climate and policy uncertainty have already impacted students’ decisions about studying in the U.S.
“I mean, it’s already affecting students’ decisions on whether to come to the United States and study, or to apply for the United States and study here, or to stay in the United States and study,” Scauso said.
International students are the second-largest group of U.S. visa recipients, according to the State Department data, over a million of international students resided in the U.S. in 2023-2024 academic year.
Junko Takada, an international student advisor, said there have been no major changes affecting international students at CPP.
“Luckily, our students are not impacted,” Takada said.
She also clarified the university’s stance on international students’ travel during Trump’s presidency, emphasizing that a previous warning to return before Inauguration Day was not due to internal concerns, but rather guidance from higher-education authorities.
“We received an email from the Chancellor’s Office that we should let them know that they should arrive before the Inauguration Day, but that was the only time we mentioned travel concerns,” Takada said.
Takada also said the CPP’sInternational Center had not seen an increase in inquiries about visa renewals or work and school visa transitions since Trump’s inauguration..
She said there has been little concern from students at their center regarding potential future visa restrictions.
Takada stated that the center is not making any changes at the moment and would invite students to discuss if any major changes were planned.
,Takada said the center plans to attend a conference in May, where they expect to learn about potential new policies. She added that they stay informed by communicating with other schools, sharing information, and receiving updates from the Chancellor’s Office.
—While Trump’s past term saw relatively stable visa approvals for international students, concerns remain regardingpotential restrictions.
For now, university officials continue to monitor potential policy shifts, while international students face the ongoing challenge of navigating an uncertain landscape.
Some students, however, are beginning to express concerns about how these policies might impact their experiences and communities.
Montserrat Morales, an architecture student, said while she has not observed major changes on campus, she isaware of the fear among some students.
“I know there are students that have the fear that even if nothing happens to them personally, their families could be affected. So maybe that could cause them to stop coming to campus to protect their families,” Morales said.
Although Morales is not an international student, she recognizes that changing policies can have indirect effects on students’ sense of security.
Feature graphic by Connor Lālea Hampton