Iasa Hatem ‘26 had always envisioned herself staying in the U.S. after getting her Davidson diploma to study neuroscience in a graduate program. But after receiving an email last December from Davidson’s International Student Engagement Office documenting a U.S. immigration policy shift, she realized her plans might have to change.

President Trump issued a proclamation in December restricting entry to the U.S. for nationals of 39 countries, affecting thousands of students around the country like Hatem. Under previous law, international students could typically get a temporary work authorization in their field of study, complete Optional Practical Training or apply to graduate schools. Now, students from countries on the travel ban list find themselves with few options to stay in the U.S. after graduation.

Hatem, who is Venezuelan-Syrian, planned to apply to PhD and post-baccalaureate programs in the U.S.. Following the travel ban proclamation in December, which named both of her home countries, she had to change course.

“The travel ban shifted my entire plan and I had to revamp and just plan everything again. It has been a terrible process,” Hatem said. “I’m now applying to universities abroad.”

The travel ban is one of a slew of Trump administration policies tightening restrictions on immigration, many of which affect Davidson international students.

Angie Edwards, director of international student engagement, recalled navigating cycles of stability and change across almost 20 years in international student advising.

“We’re in one of those periods where it’s really dynamic and things are changing a lot. It can be challenging for students to plan and it can be challenging for us to advise because we don’t really know what’s next,” Edwards said.

Another such change has been the screening of visa applicants’ social media profiles. Last June, the State Department launched procedures vetting student visa applicants’ digital footprints for “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States.” Since, it has expanded those screenings to also apply to employment visa applicants and even many tourists.

“Students are realizing that the government is using AI tools to look at their social media and work history, and they’re screening them very closely,” said William Hummel ‘06, a Charlotte immigration law specialist who visits campus once a semester to provide pro bono legal advice to international students. “Anything that’s considered anti-American is a reason for visa revocation. And under this administration, anti-American has seemed to be anti-Trump.”

Many international students feel pressure to avoid voicing negative sentiments towards the Trump administration.

“I just want to stay here. If there’s something tied to Trump, I don’t want to be digital footprinted for that,” said one international student who spoke under the condition of anonymity over fear of political retribution. “At some point, most international students are like, ‘Yay I love this administration’ because it’s under this administration where I’m going to get a job and it’s them who will let me be here.”

Many students looking to stay in the U.S. following their OPT extension period file for an H-1B visa administered through a lottery to workers with specialized knowledge. The Trump administration has limited H-1B access by charging a $100,000 fee to companies that sponsor an applicant who resides outside of the U.S..

This largely does not apply to Davidson students, who are already situated in the U.S. (exempting them from the $100,00 fee) and can use up their post-graduation OPT before needing to enter the H-1B lottery.

However, even for applicants who can continue to apply for visas as normal, many international students feel that rising anti-immigrant sentiments make navigating the job market more difficult.

“I don’t know how much of this is fostering an anti-immigrant sentiment and how much of it is actually creating systemic hurdles. But either way, international students lose out,” Arshi Husain ‘26 said. “A lot of this is fear mongering and putting companies and employers in this place of uncertainty. You’re doing all these things that signal to employers that there’s a risk that comes with hiring internationals, and I think that is affecting the job market.”

For some students, this creates a conflict between proudly representing their heritage and maximizing their chances of landing a job.

“There comes the question ‘What’s your ethnicity?’ on the job application. I’m a Latina from Bolivia. So it’s like, should I put prefer not to answer, or should I put what I really am,” Mariana Tardio Gutierrez ‘26 said. “I’m proud to be where I come from, but at the same time, I don’t want to be at a disadvantage.”

“Even though the H-1B rules don’t directly affect my plans, I think the hostility and uncertainty in the American climate right now really makes me reconsider if I want to do a Master’s or PhD in the U.S. or look in Europe,” Amber Simnani ‘29 said. “Even though these changes haven’t directly impacted my plans, they’ve impacted my perception of the United States and made me less likely to want to continue my education here.”

As students and administrators adapt to a rapidly changing visa landscape, they find the future—both during and after the Trump administration—shrouded in mystery.

Edwards advises students to explore multiple options and prepare to be flexible.

“You have to kind of prepare for the unknown,” Edwards said. “You don’t want to have your heart set on one particular route and plan everything around it, because that route could change and it could be outside of your control.”

This story was originally published on Davidsonian on March 31, 2026.