Overview

• Presidential orders in March–May revoked over 1,000 student visas, halted all new interview appointments and froze funding to Harvard under national security concerns over alleged anti-Semitism and espionage.
• Ongoing legal challenges by Harvard and interventions from the American Civil Liberties Union are contesting the administration’s tightened enrollment rules.
• Thousands of Indian students are reconsidering or abandoning US study plans after investing heavily in preparation, citing emotional stress and financial sacrifices such as loans and asset sales.
• Education counsellors report sharp declines in US applications as the UK, Germany, Ireland, Australia and Hong Kong attract redirected global talent.
• Critics warn that lost tuition and research funding from international enrollees could cost the US economy billions of dollars while prompting calls for India to bolster its own higher education system.