Undocumented students studying abroad urged to come home

Some students studying abroad may not be allowed to return to the United States after President-elect Donald Trump takes office Jan. 20, 2017.

An email sent by Jennifer Gruber study abroad and international exchange coordinator urged undocumented/Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals students studying abroad to return to the U.S. by Jan. 19, 2017, because of the possibility of being denied re-entry.

Gruber said it is highly likely that DACA students who are abroad will not be allowed to re-enter because Trump has stated he intends to eliminate the DACA program after taking office.

“If you are planning to study abroad, please know that if you are outside the United States as of Jan. 20, 2017, there is no assurance you will be allowed to return to the U.S. and that there is a very realistic possibility you will be denied re-entry,” she said.

Uncertainty of the immediate future of undocumented/DACA students after the election was also a theme expressed with anxiety to the CSU Chancellor Timothy White.

During his report to the CSU Board of Trustees earlier this week, White said the CSU system adopted a policy that removes the CSU from the enforcement of federal immigration laws. White’s comments and the CSU policy can be read here.

However, the policy only pertains to the CSU system.

Gruber urges undocumented/Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals students to consult an immigration attorney about the consequences of leaving the U.S. for a study abroad program.

For Deferred Action students currently studying abroad, she urges them to consider returning to the United States as early as possible given the uncertainty of the situation.

Bianca Quilantan can be reached at [email protected] or @biancaquilan on Twitter.