To attract the brightest minds to America, President Donald Trump proposed a novel idea while campaigning: If elected, he would grant green cards to all foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges.

It's so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, from the greatest schools, Trump said during a podcast interview in June 2024. That is going to end on Day One.

That promise never came to pass. Trump's stance on welcoming foreign students has shifted dramatically. International students have found themselves at the center of an escalating campaign to kick them out or keep them from coming, as his administration merges a crackdown on immigration with an effort to reshape higher education.

An avalanche of policies from the Trump administration—such as terminating students' ability to study in the U.S., halting all new student visa interviews and moving to block foreign enrollment at Harvard—has triggered lawsuits, countersuits and confusion. Foreign students say they feel targeted on multiple fronts. Trump himself took the latest action against international students, signing a proclamation barring nearly all foreigners from entering the country to attend Harvard. A federal judge temporarily blocked the order the following day.

In interviews, students from around the world described how it feels to be an international student today in America. Their accounts highlight pervasive feelings of fear, anxiety and insecurity that have made them more cautious in their daily lives, distracted them from schoolwork and prompted many to cancel trips home because they fear not being allowed to return.

For many, the last few months have forced them to rethink their dreams of building a life in America.

This spring, the Trump administration abruptly revoked permission to study in the U.S. for thousands of international students before reversing itself. A federal judge has blocked further status terminations, but for many, the damage is done.

The Associated Press provided this article.