The Shifting Reality for African Students in Donald Trump’s America

Since President Donald Trump's return to office, his tough immigration agenda has resurfaced alongside a new crackdown on academic institutions. Together, these developments have left African students like Patricia increasingly caught between two realities: one where academic opportunity remains and another where detention, deportation, denial of entry, and punishment for political expression have become actual threats.

Patricia is an African graduate student at a university in the Midwest. Her name and key identifying details have been changed for her safety. She and other students spoke to OkayAfrica on the condition of anonymity, citing fears of doxing and potential retaliation in light of how international students have been treated in recent weeks.

One of those students is Momodou Taal, a British Gambian doctoral student at Cornell University, who had his visa revoked for participating in pro-Palestine marches last year. The U.S. government accused him of engaging in "disruptive protests" and creating a hostile environment for Jewish students. Taal attempted to block his removal in court, but a federal judge denied the request on Thursday. He is to turn himself in to authorities for deportation proceedings.

Weeks earlier, Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, and Columbia University graduate, was detained after being accused of supporting Hamas. His arrest sent shockwaves through campuses, especially given his green card status, even prompting Taal to take preemptive legal action.

"And given how they went after Mahmoud, who has a similar fact pattern, I didn't want to be a sitting duck for myself or other international students. So, I found the lawsuit as a form of protection seeking a national injunction to challenge the constitutionality of these executive orders," Taal said in an interview. Other students have been detained or self-deported.

Susan, a Nigerian student, has been watching these cases closely. She also participated in pro-Palestine marches on her campus. She tells OkayAfrica that the past few weeks have changed how she moves.

She has spent hours consulting lawyers and conversing with her family about the possibility of an arrest. She bought a data-scrubbing app to remove her online footprint and has occasionally changed locations when she felt unsafe, among other things. The psychological toll is just as consuming.

"I have been trying to deal with that and create a game plan if I get picked up," she says. "So it's definitely had a huge impact."

While Susan has taken significant steps, she says many of her peers believe the current situation does not apply to them. "It seems like certain students are trying to exist in the space of denial where they're like, 'well, it doesn't touch us,'" Susan says. "They say that if you behave yourself and conduct yourself appropriately, you'll be fine."

This reflects a survival and cautious mindset many African students share to ensure they don't jeopardize their immigration status: keep your head down, stay respectful, and remain invisible. In doing so, many African students believe that they are exempt.

"Even with everything happening, the rhetoric continues," she says. "They say, 'We didn't go protest. We didn't write anything. That doesn't apply to us."

The U.S. government seems to agree. Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that U.S. officials would "err on the side of caution" in weighing visa revocations. "We are not going to be importing activists into the United States," Rubio said. "They're here to study. They're here to go to class. They're not here to lead activist movements that are disruptive and undermine" universities.

However, that is not the only issue African students might have to contend with. The Trump administration is reportedly reviewing a list of more than 40 countries as it considers implementing a range of new travel restrictions. At least half of the countries listed are in Africa.

Despite the implications, students tell OkayAfrica that they often avoid discussing the news. Conversations about the proposed restrictions are frequently dismissed as "fearmongering."

OkayAfrica reached out to several leaders of African student associations. None responded.

Some universities issued generic travel warnings earlier this year but have remained silent as arrests and detentions have escalated.

Currently abroad for university-approved research, Patricia is questioning how visible she wants to be. She's wary of returning to the U.S. "It's a concern," she says. "Because I don't know the basis for what they're using to deem someone a threat to national security."

She, too, participated in a peaceful pro-Palestine march on campus, and seeing the treatment of Khalil was unsettling. "I was concerned not just about what he may or may not have said, but how quickly someone can be detained, doxed, and removed from community without clear due process."

And yet, Susan says, silence isn't the answer. "We cannot pretend that staying quiet will protect us," she says. "It's their time, but at some point, it will be our turn too."