Some international students in the Bay Area advised not to travel outside the US

Monday marks the start of spring break on some college campuses, but this year, some international students enrolled in U.S. universities say they won't be traveling back home during the break or going anywhere outside the states

With changes under the Trump administration, including increased immigration enforcement, some international students are being advised not to leave the country.

As first reported by the San Francisco Standard, UC Berkeley is warning international students that if they leave the country right now, the university can't guarantee that they will be able to return. The university's International Office warns that "travel bans may be imminent" and that it "does not currently recommend our clients to engage in international travel for personal or professional reasons."

"Current U.S. immigration policy is unpredictable and subject to rapid change," an advisory on the International Office's website states. The university also warns that for those currently with a student, scholar, or employee immigration status in the U.S., if they leave the country, the International Office "cannot guarantee your ability to return to the U.S. in a timely manner, which could have an impact on your U.S. visa status if you are unable to return to the US to continue your requirements as a student, scholar or employee."

Additionally, the International Office says that while international students, scholars and employees in the U.S. have the right to free speech, there has been increased "scrutiny and enforcement related to protest participation, and certain activities could put your visa status at risk."

At the University of San Francisco, International Student and Scholar Services advises students that the U.S. government is expected to announce travel restrictions.

"To avoid disruptions to your studies or practical training, we ask all students to reconsider their international travel while these new policies are implemented," the advisory continues. For students who do decide to travel, ISSS warns that they should expect enhanced screening and potential delays when applying for visas and re-entering the U.S.

San Francisco-based attorney Jeff Wozniak, who has represented students, said his recommendation to any international student in the U.S. right now is "to stay put and enjoy your spring break locally."

Wozniak, who is a member of the National Lawyers Guild, described some of the recent language, detentions, and arrests by the Trump administration as "very chilling."

"We have green card holders like Mahmoud Khalil being arrested, people being denied entry that most people would assume would have been welcomed back," Wozniak said, referring to the arrest and detention of a Columbia University graduate student who was involved in pro-Palestinian protests.

"My legal community is very concerned about these abuses and arresting people for free speech actions," Wozniak added.

At UC Berkeley, first-year student Josefina Moyano said she plans to stay on campus for spring break and will not be traveling back to her home in Argentina.

"I received an email from the International Office, and they recommend [for] me to not travel because it's so dangerous, like the coming back here and all the immigration [changes]," Moyano said.

Even though she has a student visa, she said she was still advised not to leave the U.S.

Moyano is sad that she won't be able to visit her family, who is back in Argentina. But she also knows she is not the only student opting to forgo international travel. She competes on the Cal field hockey team and said other international students she knows have chosen to travel within the U.S. this spring break rather than leave the country.

Moyano's friend, Delphine Ayitey-Hammond, who also plays on the Cal field hockey team, is an international student from the UK. Ayitey-Hammond said she was already planning to stay on campus this spring break but is growing concerned after hearing from people she knows in the UK to be cautious about traveling into and out of America.

She said these changes and uncertainty at the federal level feel disappointing and confusing.

"We’ve paid, we have dreams to get degrees from our dream colleges and to play sport here, and to make a difference in the world," Ayitey-Hammond noted.

Peter Zhu, who is an international student getting his master's degree at UC Davis, said he curtailed his travel plans as well. Originally, he planned to visit his parents at least once a year, but now he is staying put in the U.S. to maximize the window of time before his visa expires.

"We can just stay here till we graduate, and then we can make our plan," Zhu said.