As former President Joe Biden peacefully transferred power to President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, Emerson community members described feelings of uncertainty, concern, and frustration.

In his first hours in office, Trump was quick to issue several new anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders: among them, orders to end birthright citizenship, deny the recognition of trans and non-binary identities, and put a stop to federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs “infiltration of the Federal Government.”

“There’s a bunch of concerns, really,” said Hannah Goeke, a sophomore journalism major and international student peer mentor originally from Germany. In 2020, the Trump administration signaled it was looking to restrict the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program that helps thousands of international students get jobs. With the uncertainty surrounding the latest Trump administration’s stance on international workers, Goeke and her international peers at Emerson have been left unsure about their after school future. 

“Now it’s more of a concern like, am I even gonna get sponsored?” Goeke said.

According to a 2020 report by CollegeFactual, Emerson College’s student body is made up of at least 11% international students, almost double the national average. In the most recent first-year admissions demographics report released by the school in 2022, at least 16% were international students.

Over 400,000 first-generation immigrant students in higher education are undocumented, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal. Ahead of the inauguration, Trump repeated his campaign promise of leading the largest deportation effort in the history of the U.S. At a May campaign event, Trump threatened deportation for any international students that were caught participating in encampment protests. “One thing I do is, any student that protests, I throw them out of the country,” Trump said, “You know, there are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that, they’re going to behave.”

Victoria Kalala, a sophomore public relations major and an international student peer mentor from Belgium, is worried about Trump’s “impact” on OPT considering many international students use it to work in the U.S. Similar to Goeke, Trump’s inauguration has Kalala questioning what the impact will be on the program. 

Kalala was among a group of international Emerson students who received an email from the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) that encouraged students to consider returning to the school ahead of the inauguration. The college wrote that this was due to “an abundance of caution and based on historical precedent,” in reference to an executive order Trump issued in his first term which banned nationals from seven countries from entering the U.S. for a minimum of 90 days.

As a child of immigrants, Aparna Prabhakar, a sophomore journalism student born and raised in California, finds the issue of immigration particularly close to her heart. Raised in a family of educators, Prabhakar is particularly frightened about Trump’s threats to defund higher education and “continue to spew lies” about vulnerable communities. 

“I am worried for what measures the administration plans to take to protect our community,” Prabhakar said. “I don’t have a lot of faith in them to do so.”

In a statement to The Beacon regarding the implications of the coming Trump presidency for international students on campus, Michelle Gaseau, Emerson associate vice president of strategic communications and media relations, said that the college is “unwavering” in its commitment to the many diverse identities at Emerson. 

“The College’s goal over the coming months and years is to make sure everyone in our community, including our international students and others who may be affected, are supported by the College so they can focus on their education and well-being,” Gaseau wrote. “The College is prepared to quickly share information with affected students if there are federal policy changes that directly impact them. As always, the College will continue to operate within the laws and policies that pertain to our institution.”

When asked what the executive orders signed by Trump on Monday could mean for the school’s current use of DEI practices, Gaseau said: “At this time of significant transition, the College will continue to support our community with kindness and understanding, reaffirming our commitment to protect and support our mission and all Emersonians.”

“The administration is complicit,” Prabhakar said, “Institutional neutrality is a facade for complicity.”

The “Institutional Neutrality and Mutual Respect” policy doctrine was among multiple expression policies implemented by the college after 118 protestors calling on the institution to demand a ceasefire in Gaza were arrested at the “Popular University Encampment” last April. The new policy precludes the college from taking “official positions on complex geopolitical issues or considering political pressure in allocating resources or selecting strategic partners” and heavily restricts student organizations from taking political stances.

“It is compliance in advance,” said Illona Yosefov, an instructional technologist, in regard to the policy. “The carpet is rolled out, we have exactly what [Trump] would like.”