Travel Concerns Grow for Mizzou's International Community as School Year Ends

Columbia, Mo. (May 8, 2025) – For many, summer is a time to relax and get away from many of the stresses of school or work. However, it feels like that doesn’t quite apply to everyone this year. For immigrants, whether they have work or student visas, there is real concern about whether they will be able to return to the United States after a trip abroad.

In March of this year, the Trump administration drafted a list of 43 countries that would have varying levels of travel restrictions imposed on them. The list was split into red, orange, and yellow categories, signaling banned, restricted, and questionable statuses respectively. Countries in the yellow category would have 60 days to report any information deemed lacking before being cleared or moved to another category. Since April, the implementation of any restrictions has been indefinitely postponed, pending further evaluation of which countries should be included on the list.

Due to the uncertainty surrounding the travel ban, many people will not be traveling this year, including international students. “The whole picture is that even if a student gets his or her visa, and they show up at the airport, there is a possibility that someone will say ‘go back to where you came from’,” said Iván Reyna, Associate Professor of Spanish at the University of Missouri. The university employs many graduate students from other countries to teach Spanish classes, many of whom worry that they won’t be able to come back if they take a trip out of the country.

International students, and even professors without tenure, have become increasingly careful with what they say and do. “They’re very concerned about what they teach in the classroom, what they post to social media, or if they want to express their opinions, because you never know who you’re talking to,” Reyna said. “I’ve been involved with academia in the United States for 25, 30 years…I have never experienced something like this.” Instead, Reyna recalled experiencing similar feelings in his home country when a particularly strong government took steps to censor universities and newspapers in the ‘80s.

For international students, the risks begin while they’re applying for their visas. One source, who wished to remain anonymous, remembered having to provide personal social media accounts for their DS-2019 form. The form is a pre-requisite for obtaining an I-20 form, which itself is a pre-requisite for applying for a student visa. “The first time, I was like ‘What? Why are you asking for social media?’ And now, you feel at risk, you know…Even having things in my bio, my girlfriend was very worried about. Like maybe you should get that, or maybe you should take the flyers down in your dorm.”

However, there is another side to prospective travelers. Despite worries and concerns, there are students and faculty members who are choosing to visit home anyway. For some, the trip back to their home countries allows them access documents they can’t get in the United States to further their research. For others, summer break is the only time they have during the year to visit family. “I feel like it’s been way too long a wait, I can’t not go,” said the anonymous source.

These travelers go abroad with confidence that they will be able to return for the fall semester. Some have the benefit of having already gained citizenship in the United States, so cannot legally be denied re-entry. Others see no reason they would be stopped or otherwise barred from entering the country based on their recent activity. This doesn’t mean they aren’t still worrying about what might happen, though. “I think I’m going to get back fine, I don’t think I’ll have to go through many customs,” the anonymous source stated. “But you hear these stories and you’re like ‘Well, anything can go. They can file me up for anything’.”

In response to uncertainty, the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures within the Arts & Science Department provided letters to all its faculty and staff at the University of Missouri. These letters, which came unsolicited, serve as written proof that the holder works for the university, and outline the details and value of their position. They even provide phone numbers to call if the validity of the letters were to be questioned.

Similarly, the International Center on campus sent international students an email during the week before spring break advising them not to leave the country. They claimed there was too much risk involved, and they were unsure of the situation regarding international travel at the time. This would have been about one week after the ban list was drafted, and two weeks before implementation was postponed.

“The fact that we’re talking about this, the fact that you’re asking me this question, and that I’ve thought about this, is very significant,” said Reyna. “This is not the country that it was.” The United States may not have a pretty history when it comes to immigrants, but recent actions appear to usher in new levels of hostility. Summer plans have changed, futures are in question, and anxiety only grows as more time passes.