NATIONWIDE — Stop AAPI Hate today released a new study that reveals the severe emotional, academic, and immigration-related challenges international students face under the Trump administration’s targeted attacks. International students – the majority of whom come from Asia – report feeling surveilled, discriminated against, and pushed into silence as they navigate an increasingly hostile political and campus climate.
This comes at a time when the Trump administration has revoked student visas for expressing dissent, shifted immigration policies without warning, and ramped up scrutiny of immigrants of color. 72% of international students are from Asia, with a vast majority from India and China.
The report is based on qualitative and quantitative data from a survey of graduate and undergraduate international students across 36 U.S. higher education institutions. Key findings include, but are not limited to:
- Only 4% of respondents said they feel “very” or “extremely” safe.
- 90% are fearful about their visa status — including risks of detention, deportation, or disruption to their studies.
- An overwhelming 88% reported a decreased sense of belonging.
- 86% changed or restricted their social media presence due to fear of surveillance or immigration repercussions.
- 81% experienced negative physical or mental health impacts tied to fear and uncertainty.
- Students expressed increasingly negative views of U.S. higher education, with many discouraging peers from studying in the United States.
“The study’s findings paint a vivid picture of international students living in constant fear, with uncertainty permeating almost every aspect of their lives,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, Stop AAPI Hate Co-Founder and Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance. “The racism and xenophobia behind the Trump administration’s relentless attacks on international students, who are mostly people of color, is glaring – and it’s consistent with his broader anti-immigrant agenda. For example, he recently halted all immigration applications – for asylum, green cards, citizenship – for people from 19 non-European countries. It’s clear Trump wants to make America permanently hostile to people of color, and disturbingly, attacking international students is one of his main tactics.”
Students’ own words captured by the survey underscore the depth of harm:
- “[I’m scared of] being kidnapped by ICE without due process, being disappeared into the detention system, being denied healthcare if detained.”
- “I hate it when I have to delete my social media when I simply post things I believe in. I thought I had a voice by being in the U.S.”
- “We don’t belong here […] America is no longer the land for dreams.”
- [In response to a question asking about their advice for prospective international students]:
- “Run, don’t come!”
- “Consider going to other countries that are more friendly to international students. Even if nothing goes wrong with one’s student visa, it is very difficult to stay and work in the U.S. once you graduate.”
The survey also found that while most students reported access to some basic supports from their respective college/university — such as mental health services (78%), visa guidance (77%), and institutional communication (67%) — major gaps remain in critical areas:
- Just 38% reported that their college/university offered legal aid.
- Only 48% said that their college/university offered guidance on completing their academic studies.
- 14–37% did not know whether key services like travel guidance and mental health support even existed at their institutions, reflecting a breakdown in communication.
“Our survey unambiguously shows that many universities and colleges are not doing enough to protect and support their international students,” said Stephanie Chan, Director of Data and Research at Stop AAPI Hate. “Some of this may be stemming from a lack of data and information about exactly what these students are going through – compounded by students’ fear of speaking out in the face of government censorship and retaliation. By uplifting the voices of international students and their needs, this report is an important initial step towards filling a critical information gap and advocating for colleges and universities to provide more comprehensive mental health services, legal aid, and other tailored support.”
See the full report and report summary for more data and analysis.