The findings laid bare the profound ripple effects of the administration’s policies on students’ “daily lives, well-being and long-term plans”, with 90% reporting they were moderately, very, or extremely fearful about their student visa status.
“International students describe living under constant uncertainty – unsure which actions might jeopardise their status or future,” stated the report.
The survey was conducted by Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit group dedicated to fighting discrimination against Asian and Pacific Islander people in the US. It encompassed 87 international students at different levels of study from 36 institutions across the US.
It follows months of escalating hostility against international students under the Trump administration, which has revoked over 8,000 student visas and whose suspension of new visa interviews earlier this year caused widespread disruptions for those aiming to study on US campuses this fall.
What’s more, the government’s high-profile arrests and detentions of international students participating in pro-Palestinian speech – since ruled illegal by a federal judge – led several survey respondents to highlight fears of unlawful detention or deportation.
Among many other policies, the government has expanded its social media vetting processes, with 88% of international students indicating they had scaled back political engagement and 86% reporting changing their social media presence.
“This retreat from visibility limits students’ participation in campus life and undermines the principles of openness and inquiry that universities are meant to uphold,” stated the survey.
It captured the anxiety of students living in limbo, highlighting accounts of students self-censoring, feeling like they are “under siege” and feeling powerless to participate in protests or “to speak up for social justice and participate in civil actions”.
Testimonials highlighted fears of sudden detainment or deportation without due process, increased surveillance and the loss of freedom, and the possibility of being unable to complete their programs or secure employment after graduation.
Students from China, who comprise the second largest cohort of international students in the US, reported heightened fears of being watched or targeted as potential security threats.
Though never materialising into concrete policy, in May 2025 secretary of state Marco Rubio declared the US would “aggressively revoke” Chinese student visas, framing his crusade under the guise of protecting national security.
International students describe living under constant uncertainty – unsure which actions might jeopardise their status or future
Stop AAPI Hate
Last week, an Indiana news publication reported that administrators at Purdue University had pressured faculty into rejecting applications of prospective graduate students from China and several other countries.
The reports come after a major industry conference where leaders urged universities that they must strengthen coordination to help campuses understand new developments, highlighting the danger of “pre-emptive action” and “over compliance”.
Elsewhere in the survey, students expressed concerns over increasingly fragile study-to-work pipelines in the US, citing the administration’s abrupt hiking of the cost of new H-1B visa petitions to $100,000.
While the government clarified the controversial new fee would not apply to international students and other visa holders changing status within the US, the move sparked widespread distress among employers who are keeping a close eye on widely anticipated changes to Optional Practical Training (OPT), expected imminently.
Meanwhile in the survey, over 60% of international students said recent policies had negatively impacted travel plans and almost a third said they had experienced harassment or unfair treatment off campus.
Many respondents said they could no longer recommend the US as a study destination to prospective students. “Reconsider your decision and look at places where you are valued and supported,” one student wrote.
The survey comes as new international enrolments across US campuses dropped by 17% this semester as per initial IIE data, with the decline expected to worsen if the current policy environment continues.
Meanwhile, a recent global survey by IDP Education found students are increasingly lining up backup study locations and “de-risking” amid rising geopolitical tensions, with 80% of international students applying to multiple destinations in August 2025.
As colleges scramble to keep up with the volatile policy environment, most students reported that their institution provided at least some basic support, but gaps in awareness of these services and in access to more specialised services remained “significant”, said the survey.
Nearly four in five international students said their campus offered mental health services (78%) or information about visa policies and travel guidance (77%), and two-thirds reported receiving communication about their student status (67%).
And yet, fewer than half said their university offered guidance on completing their studies (48%) and only 38% said their institution offered legal aid – something AAPI said was “critical” in the current environment.
“Faced with fear, uncertainty, and shifting immigration policies, students overwhelmingly called for colleges and universities to take stronger, more proactive steps to safeguard their education, safety and rights,” urged the report.
It highlighted the role of off-campus resources relied upon by students, with more than a quarter reporting seeking help outside their colleges to navigate visa or SEVIS-related challenges, with community-based organisations, peer networks, therapists and legal organisations being among the sources of support.
