Did Trump Ban International Students? US Travel Ban Keeps Scholars from 19 Countries

For many aspiring scholars, the United States has long been a symbol of academic opportunity. President Donald Trump's travel ban, however, proclaimed last year, has closed doors for thousands of foreign students from nearly 19 countries. The policies have particularly pinched students from Iran, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, where education is already weak.

One of them, 21-year-old Afghan student Bahara Saghari, told the Associated Press that she had dreamed of studying business administration at one of Illinois's liberal arts schools. She studied for years in preparation to take English tests and was accepted but prevented from enrolling. "You think finally you're going to your dream, and then something came up and like, everything's just gone," she said.

Students Left High and Dry by Travel Restrictions

Over 5,700 student visas were awarded last year to students from the nations, and Iran and Myanmar accounted for more than half of them, the US State Department reported. Those pipelines have since been severed. Some students, such as 17-year-old Iranian chemistry major Pouya Karami, had to delay entry. Others, such as Myanmar's "Gu Gu," had their offers withdrawn after visa appointment cancellations. Those families who had been working for decades to earn enough money to take their children abroad are now stuck.

Foreign students have enriched America's institutions with innovation and intercultural sensitivity for decades. Detractors argue delayed or missed opportunities threaten not just individual futures but also the country's global standing. "You lose this naively optimistic vision of the world," said Amir, an Iranian scholar who lost his position at the University of Pennsylvania. "Maybe people don't want you there. That's a pretty hard thing to accept."

Whatever the measure, short-term suspension or long-term policy, the disruption is evident: education has been made collateral in geopolitical conflicts. 

National Security vs. Academic Freedom

The Trump policy is defended by the administration as a safeguard against "deficient" screening processes in certain nations, citing high numbers of visa overstay and security threats. While green card recipients, dual nationals, and some exceptions are exempted, the limit has introduced vulnerabilities to American campuses. University officials warn of the ripple effect on research, diversity, and knowledge exchange.