Scrutiny, Fear and the Fading American Dream

New Delhi: For two years, Delhi-based Ahaana Arora (17) had mapped her academic future around the goal of studying in the United States – building her profile through extracurriculars, choosing subjects tailored to American college admission requirements and pouring savings into the expensive Advanced Placement exams.

However, tightened restrictions on international students under President Donald Trump’s administration, including visa revocations and increased political screening, have made her reconsider her plans. “After all the hard work, it's disheartening to consider letting it all go,” says Arora.

What began as visa revocations targeting students linked to pro-Palestine protests had, by April, expanded into a broader crackdown affecting hundreds of international students.

In a press briefing held on March 27, US secretary of state Marco Rubio announced the revocation of over 300 student visas. Pointing to protesting students, he said, “We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas.”

According to the Inside Higher Ed publication, media reports and college statements had identified over 1,800 students from over 280 US institutes as having had their legal status changed by the state department “as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration and alleged antisemitism”.

This was as of April 24, a day before Washington began restoring the legal status of some students in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System or SEVIS – a database used to track international students – the publication noted.

The American Immigration Lawyers' Association has been cited as saying that of 327 visa revocations and SEVIS record terminations it collated, 50% of those affected were from India.

As part of its broader crackdown, the Trump administration ordered US embassies around the world to stop scheduling appointments for student visas on May 27.

“It instilled a fear in me. I felt I lacked proper backups in India, making it difficult for me to reconsider my plans,” says Delhi-based Kajal (name changed) (18).

While the US state department announced the resumption of visa processing on June 18, it introduced a complicated requirement: all F, M and J visa applicants are now required to unlock their social media accounts for review by the government.

Consular offices will be on the lookout for posts deemed hostile towards American citizens, culture, government, institutions or core principles. Private or closed accounts may be seen as an attempt to conceal information, potentially resulting in increased scrutiny or even denial of a visa.

Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to public to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States… pic.twitter.com/xotcfc3Qdo

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) June 23, 2025

While the goal is to identify potential security threats, critics deem it a vague criterion, giving unchecked power to officials to reject students even over a single post.

“The fact that this policy is vaguely defined is what makes us powerless,” says Arora. “Even if there's nothing objectively wrong with your profile, your visa can still be rejected because it ultimately depends on how the administration interprets it. For instance, liking a pro-Gaza post may be seen as antisemitic. It feels like a convenient tool for denial.”

Kajal, who had gotten her visa approved, also highlights the pressure. “The night before my visa interview, I was scrolling through my Instagram likes and deleting anything Palestine-related,” she recounted. It made her question her principles, but “I had to better my chances,” she says.

Meanwhile, students in the US cite cases of visa revocations due to minor infractions. Requesting anonymity, a California-based student underlines the uncertainty this has created. “Some of my friends' visas were revoked due to previous speeding and parking tickets, or delayed modification of address, and social media posts,” they claim.

Several US-based students declined to speak over the phone or online platforms, citing concerns that their communications may be monitored or used against them.

Learning about such cases, former Ivy League aspirant Seher Zaman (17) has abandoned her US plans. “Students are being deported for such small cases as expressing views online; as an Indian student and a Muslim, I no longer consider the US a viable option for my academics.”

Zaman, like many other Indian students, now aims for alternatives in the UK and Germany.

According to Adarsh Khandelwal, co-founder of admissions counselling service Collegify, it's not just about reviewing your application – “it's reviewing you”. “Other countries might assess risk, but none require digital transparency at this level”, Khandelwal told the Economic Times.

According to a US immigration and Customs Enforcement report titled “SEVIS by the numbers 2024”, international students in the US in 2024 hailed from more than 229 countries and territories, with India accounting for the largest number of such students.

“The recent policy changes and visa restrictions will certainly impact [prospective students] who are in the process of putting up their applications for studying in the US. This impact could mean a drop of at least 15-20% compared to 2024,” when the US issued 86,000 F1 visas to Indian students, said Sachin Jain, country manager of ETS India and South Asia, to Fortune India.

Like Zaman, Kaushik (28), who aimed at getting into top policy programmes in the US, is now considering doing his master's at a university in Britain. “I don't want to go there and be in a constant state of fear,” he says.

However, some students like Kajal, who have invested emotionally and financially into building a US-centred academic profile, remain committed. “I may not be able to speak openly there, but that’s the sacrifice [necessary] for a premier education,” she says.

As Indian and other international students navigate fear and uncertainty, the US risks losing their economic contributions and its reputation as a free and democratic educational hub.

Maryam Hassan is a freelance journalist and a student of convergent journalism at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.