UC Berkeley law student Adel Asad was at home with his family in Pakistan during winter break when he received an email from the university encouraging students to return to campus before President-elect Donald Trump inauguration on Monday.
In 2017, during Trump’s first presidential term, he signed an executive order temporarily banning the entry of those from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, citing security concerns. President Joe Biden rescinded the policy, but Trump has said he plans to reinstate and expand it.
“It’s very scary,” Asad said. “It’s bleak.”
Amid student concerns over Trump’s promises to crack down once more on immigration and travel from certain countries, Bay Area universities say they are committed to supporting international students and those living in the country illegally.
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“We will do everything in our power to support undocumented members of our university community,” California State University said in a statement.
Many California schools, including San Jose State University, University of California at Berkeley and Cal State East Bay, warned international students to return to campus before Trump’s return in case of a potential travel ban.
Trump made immigration a focal point of his campaign, vowing to deport mass numbers of illegal immigrants, end birthright citizenship for millions of children and adopt stricter border policies. But he also said he will help foreign students stay in the U.S. by guaranteeing them green cards for foreign graduates and has vocally supported specialty H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, including tech workers, despite his party’s opposition.
Despite such reassurances, international students studying at Bay Area universities expressed fear and uncertainty about their future in the U.S. and the Trump administration’s plans.
Nelson, a Muslim student from Kenya who’s asked to be identified only by his last name out of concerns for his safety, said many international students are worried about the incoming administration.
A political climate hostile to immigrants is particularly concerning for students who come from countries that are politically unstable or opposed to LGBTQ people, he said, and has led some students who had planned to find work in the U.S. after finishing their studies to consider alternatives.
Scaring away international talent feels like a “bad investment” Nelson said. He shared hope that influential business people like Elon Musk, who have advocated for welcoming international workers, could sway the controlling political party away from limiting work visas.
Stanford medical student Fan Yang will finish his program and return to China in the spring, but said he worries he won’t be able to return to the United States after he leaves.
“One worry is the next time I come to the U.S., is that okay? Will that be okay?” Yang said.
Stanford did not respond to this news organization’s request for comment.
The Higher Ed Immigration Portal — a digital platform that provides data and policy analysis to support immigrant and international students — estimates more than 408,000 students living in the U.S. illegally and more than 140,000 international students are enrolled in higher education in the U.S.
The portal also estimates nearly 6,800 employees in U.S. public schools, colleges and universities are protected under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA — the federal process that grants temporary work permits and delays deportation for individuals who immigrated to the U.S. as children.
And an estimated 87,000 students in the U.S. without legal permission are enrolled in California’s colleges and universities, according to a June 2024 analysis by the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration — a collective of American college and university leaders.
In California, all students — regardless of immigration status — have the right to attend public school and the state offers many resources to students in the country illegally who are interested in attending college or a university, including scholarships and financial aid.
Bay Area schools acknowledged the fear and uncertainty many students and staff are experiencing as Trump prepares to take office next week and doubled down on their commitments to protecting all students, especially international students and those in the country without legal permission.
In a statement, the University of California Office of the President said the university system “proudly welcomes” all students, regardless of immigration status and is monitoring the Trump administration’s transition closely, as well as assessing any potential impacts to the UC community.
The San Jose Evergreen Community College District reminded students that campuses will not participate in federal immigration enforcement activities unless compelled to do so by law and that personally identifiable information and confidential student records will not be released to federal officers without a warrant or court order. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District’s board of trustees passed a similar resolution maintaining the privacy of student records and declaring the community college system would not cooperate with any federal attempts to create a registry of students living in the U.S. illegally.
UC and CSU also reiterated that no campus police department would work with federal immigration officers to investigate or remove students.
Other Bay Area schools said while they are closely monitoring any potential changes coming from the Trump administration for now.
“We are avoiding speculation and sending messages that might panic students,” San Francisco State University said. “When talking to students about immigration policy, we stick to information about current laws and policies.”
“We think it’s important not to speculate on changes,” Santa Clara University said in a statement. “Nevertheless, many are understandably feeling anxious for themselves or their families. We connect them to information, resources and support so they know their rights and the organizations on and off campus available to assist them.”
Nelson, the UC Berkeley student, praised the university for helping students feel comfortable on campus. He said while California is a peaceful place, students will feel paranoid about who may not want them in the country under the incoming administration.
“Everyone is worried,” Nelson said.