Fear and uncertainty spread across many college campuses USA ahead of his inauguration Donald Trump on January 20. Some universities are advising their international students to return earlier than winter break amid promises of another travel ban like the one that stranded students abroad early in Trump’s previous term.

More than 1.1 million international students enrolled in American colleges and universities during the academic year 2023-24. Trump has promised tougher immigration policies since returning to the White House, including expanding the previous travel ban on people from predominantly Muslim countries and revoking the student visas of “radical anti-Americans” and anti-Semitic foreigners”.

International students generally have visas that allow them to study in the US, but do not provide a legal avenue to remain in the country.

“It’s a scary time for international students,” said Pramath Pratap Misra, 23, a student from India who graduated from New York University this year with a degree in political science. NYU had the most international students in the US—more than 27,000—during the last academic year.

Some universities are urging students to postpone or immediately halt travel plans outside the US ahead of Trump’s inauguration.

Cornell University advised students traveling abroad to return before the start of the spring semester on Jan. 21 or “contact an advisor about your travel plans and be prepared for delays.”

“A travel ban is likely to go into effect immediately after the inauguration,” the university warned students late last month.

“The ban is likely to include citizens of countries targeted in the first Trump administration: Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Myanmar, Sudan, Tanzania, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen and Somalia. New countries could be added to this list, particularly China and India.”

At the University of Southern California, which had more than 17,000 international students during the past academic year, officials urged international students in an email to return to the US a week before Trump’s return to the White House. USC has the largest number of international students in California.