U.S. international student enrollment is showing signs of strain as restrictive visa and immigration policies adopted under the Trump administration are being cited as a principal cause of falling new enrollments. University leaders and visa experts warn the policy and operational shifts—from paused interviews to broader deterrence—are prompting students to choose alternatives abroad or delay starts. NAFSA executive Fanta Aw and college officials described uneven declines that disproportionately hit smaller, tuition-dependent institutions. Examples cited include large year‑over‑year drops at certain universities and program-specific declines in graduate enrollment, raising fiscal and recruitment challenges for affected campuses.