COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado College (CC) is urging its international students to return to campus from winter break before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, fearing potential executive action that could hinder international travel.
CC is one of several higher education institutions around the country issuing these warnings, including Columbia University, the University of Southern California, Cornell University, Harvard, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to NBC.
Trump has said numerous times he will crack down on immigration in a second term.
“We have been in touch with our international students who are on F-1 and J-1 Visas, advising them to return to campus before the start of the second semester, which begins on January 20, 2025,” said Alexa Gromko, spokesperson for CC. “Because the U.S. Presidential Inauguration Day aligns with the start of Block 5, we don’t anticipate that any of our international students will be impacted should any new policies go into effect.”
CC schedules operate on a “Block” plan where students only take one class at a time for each Block.
F-1 is a more common type of international student visa. J-1 visas are meant to “promote international educational and cultural exchange, in order to develop mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries,” according to the CC website.
Gromko said CC has 110 international students out of a total student body of 2,400, making up about 4.5% of the student population.
Many of the fears universities and colleges around the U.S. have stem from Trump’s first term when he signed the so-called “Muslim ban” executive order during his first week in office, stranding some students and faculty from returning stateside.
“We are also watching closely for any immigration changes impacting F-1 and J-1 students and will continue to work with our campus partners to support the mental health and well-being of our international students, ensuring they feel a sense of belonging and inclusion here at CC,” Gromko added.
CC’s "International Students" webpage said the campus had 113 international students from 44 different countries for the Fall 2023 semester.
“As needed, we are meeting with our international students this week one on one out of an abundance of caution to prevent travel issues and to reinforce that they are welcome here, we want them here, and there are people speaking up for them and advocating for them,” said Gromko.
CC’s last day of classes for the fall semester were on Wednesday.
Email Senior Reporter Brett Forrest at brett.forrest@koaa.com. Follow @brettforrestTVon X and Brett Forrest News on Facebook.
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