Only 4% of International Students Feel Safe Under Trump’s Policies — Is America Still the Land of Dreams?
Hot take: If only 4% of international students report feeling safe, America’s reputation as the ‘land of dreams’ is hemorrhaging credibility — and not because of a single headline but because policy, rhetoric, and enforcement now conspire to make campuses feel like precarious zones rather than welcoming gateways to opportunity. The optics of travel bans, expanded vetting, visa uncertainty and increased enforcement have turned what used to be a rite of passage into a risk calculation for students and families weighing study abroad against possible detention, deportation, or surveillance.
Context: Since 2024–2025, a series of executive orders, travel restrictions, new vetting procedures, and heightened reporting requirements have produced measurable fear among international students, who report decreased belonging, curtailed political expression, and anxiety about visa status and travel interruptions. Institutions and advocacy groups have documented changes including paused visa interviews, expanded travel bans targeting multiple countries, proposed regulatory changes to visa duration, and demands for data on student protest activity — all of which have reduced international applicants’ confidence and prompted campuses to scramble with guidance and support services. The result: many international students now advise others to reconsider coming to the U.S., and the long-standing narrative of America as an open place for study and advancement is under serious strain.
