In response to former President Donald Trump being elected the 47th president of the U.S., international students across Northwestern’s campus have shared concerns about a second Trump administration.
Students have pointed in particular to potential implications surrounding proposed policies about women’s rights, immigration and foreign affairs in their home countries.
Weinberg junior Maria Chebli, from Lebanon, said she was “fearful” of the election outcome because of her identity as an international student and a woman.
Chebli said ahead of the election results, both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris were unclear over their stances on foreign policy regarding the Israel-Hamas War.
“I am from the Middle East, so foreign policy was a big fear point for me,” Chebli said. “Whatever candidates were going to be elected was going to have a big impact on how the dynamics in the Middle East were going to change or not change.”
Medill junior Sofia Sorochinskaia, who is from Russia, said foreign policy toward Ukraine was her first concern. She worries that the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine will be negatively impacted under Trump’s administration.
Sorochinskaia said she doesn’t think Trump will fight for Ukraine’s“ sovereignty and independence,” leading the country to concede its territories to Russia.
While some students worry about foreign affairs, others are focused on tariffs and immigration policies.
Weinberg sophomore Eric Ji, who is from China, said Trump might implement tariffs on goods imported from China that will affect both Chinese and American companies.
“I feel like it’s not a good thing for both China and the U.S. in terms of, the people are going to pay more money for products imported from China,” Ji said. “For Chinese companies, it’s kind of bad because American companies may import products from other countries instead of China. So it’s just bad for everyone.”
Ji also said he is concerned about the future of immigrants in the country, referencing an undocumented student at NU he knows.
“It’s really unfair for her to be deported back,” Ji said of his friend.
Beyond those concerns, international students worry their academic and career prospects in the U.S. will be affected.
For Weinberg sophomore Yucheng Jin, Trump’s election may change her life trajectory. Trump’s work visa and immigration policies, she said, have created uncertainty for international students seeking a Ph.D. and a pathway to U.S. citizenship.
Jin, who is from China, said she is also concerned about women’s reproductive rights as well as equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community in the U.S.
Chebli said the presidential election made her reconsider her career choice of working in the U.S. “1,000%,” including whether to stay in the U.S. or return to her home country for work.
“The election made me put into perspective what the majority of the country stands for,” Chebli said. “It was more by default, but then this very bipartisan system that only shows two very distinct parties makes me wonder if that’s a system in which I want to keep on living.”
Sorochinskaia said she wanted to move to another country where “the government is much more loyal to the journalists.”
Trump’s past regulations of Optional Practical Training for F-1 students and duration for F-1 students to stay in the U.S. after graduation made her worried about whether she could still work in the U.S. after college.
“It’s already several times harder for international students to even get an internship,” said Sorochinskaia. “Even if you manage to get an offer … you can still be denied a visa.”
Weinberg junior Evgeny Stolyarov, who is from Austria, said this is the time for both international and domestic students to “further build community and power.”
He pointed to America’s “arbitrary” role in the protection of global human rights and America’s intervention in Gaza.
Sorochinskaia said she’s uncertain about the future.
“I expected that the hardest part for me was to get into an American college” she said. “But apparently it was the easiest part.”
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