The president escalated his feud with Harvard on Wednesday by signing an order that deems the entry of the university’s international students into the U.S. a national security threat.

As Harvard’s fight with the Trump administration plays out, foreign students who are hoping to attend the Ivy League school are navigating deep uncertainty and weighing other options.

Students from around the world say being an international student in American today comes with feelings of fear, anxiety, and insecurity that have made them more cautious in their daily lives.

Around midnight on April 16, 2025, after Chen Zimo learned that the Department of Homeland Security had threatened to revoke Harvard University’s certification to enroll international students, he began communicating with a trusted source about possible legal scenarios.