If President Trump was sending a message to other colleges and international students with his ban on Harvard international enrollment, then Jack Masliah, a Northeastern University student from Mexico City, heard him loud and clear.
“I’ve been very concerned and frightened about what’s going on,’’ Masliah said Saturday in a phone interview. “The fear is real — people have been keeping their heads down,’’
Masliah’s concerns reflect the uncertainty Trump created on campuses across Greater Boston with his efforts to end international enrollment at Harvard, as well as what’s at stake for the rest of the region given the large number of students who travel here from abroad for their education.
“We [international students] are a big part of higher education in this country,’’ said Masliah, who is studying political science and philosophy. “And it’s time to show it.’’
In Boston, Northeastern University would have much to lose if the Trump administration decides to deploy widespread restrictions on international student enrollment.
During the 2023-24 school year, Northeastern had the second largest number of international students, ranking only behind New York University, according to Open Doors, an annual census of international students in the United States prepared by the Institute of International Education.
NYU had more than 27,000 students enrolled from abroad, Open Doors data shows. Northeastern said it has more than 20,000 international students enrolled at its campuses worldwide and they comprise 16 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Many colleges and universities generate vital revenue from international students who often pay full tuition because they are ineligible for most forms of financial aid.
Last year, researchers at the organization NAFSA: Association of International Educators released a report showing 1.1 million international students at American colleges and universities contributed $43.8 billion to the economy during the 2023-24 academic year and supported more than 378,000 jobs, the most economic activity ever calculated by the organization.
In Massachusetts, the researchers found there were 82,306 international students enrolled, contributing $3.9 billion to the local economy and supporting nearly 36,000 jobs.
Northeastern said Saturday discussions about whether the Trump administration would seek to impose the same restrictions on other colleges and universities or at least threaten to do so would be speculative.
“Northeastern continues to be a destination for students from all over the world,’’ Renata Nyul, a university spokesperson, said in an email that highlighted resources for international students. “We do not comment on hypothetical scenarios in the press.’’
The White House didn’t immediately respond Saturday to requests for comment from the Globe.
Trump’s return to the presidency in January launched a period of upheaval in higher education as the administration has rolled out new policies making massive cuts to research funding, tightening rules for visas for international students, and stripping some international scholars of their legal authority to stay in the United States.
Masliah said he sees Trump’s targeting of international enrollment at Harvard as a “big turning point’’ that he hopes will unite international students to stand against the White House effort’s to leverage them as part of their efforts to reshape higher education.
“It’s this intrinsic pull toward this country — to innovate, to dream, to be creative,’’ Masliah said. “International students really believe in that vision of America.’’
Chris Ambriz, a Northeastern junior and engineering major from Haiti, said he came to the United States for his education with hopes of giving back to the community.
“I’m here to get a better life and contribute to America,’’ he said. “There‘s a lot of people in the world who could actually benefit the US.’’
Sudarshan Venkat, a Northeastern graduate student from India who is studying biotechnology, said he‘s been afforded educational opportunities here that weren’t available at home. Colleges and universities should be free to enroll students based on their “qualifications and experiences,’’ he said.
“I’m having a really good experience,’’ he said.
Another Northeastern student from Nigeria said he initially reacted with fear when he learned Harvard’s international students may be not be able to return to campus in the fall. He identified himself as Muna, but declined to provide his last name, saying he is concerned he could face retaliation for speaking publicly.
As the Harvard news sunk in, Muna said some of his concerns abated. Trump seems focused on Harvard, which has made forceful vows to defend its independence from intrusions by the White House. Northeastern, by contrast, hasn’t drawn much attention from the Trump administration, Muna said, and hasn’t sought to position itself as a leading voice against the federal government’s efforts to exact greater control over higher education institutions.
“I wish they [Northeastern] actually would do a bit more’’ to stand up to Trump, said Muna, who is studying computer science.
Aarugh Singh, a computer science student from Connecticut, echoed this perspective. Trump seems to have a “personal grudge’’ against Harvard, he said, but doesn’t seem to have the same animosity for Northeastern.
Singh said he hopes Trump doesn’t target Northeastern’s international students.
Arianna Manzon, a Northeastern business administration and design major from Dallas, said she‘s been talking to friends about the predicament facing Harvard’s international students.
“The administration is attacking something so close to home,’’ she said. “It really awakened something inside of me that, yeah, I’m ready to go to a protest now.’’
Another Northeastern student predicted Trump will be blocked from enacting his plan against Harvard, noting a federal judge in Boston has already issued a temporary order to prohibit the order to take effect.
“In the end, it’ll all come around,’’ said Julia, a chemical engineering student from New Jersey. She declined to give her last name, citing concerns about discussing political issues publicly.
Valentina Campos, who was visiting Northeastern Saturday, said she opposes Trump’s efforts to block Harvard from enrolling international students.
Campos is from Costa Rica and is studying sonography at Rutgers University.
“I don’t like it at all,’’ she said. “It’s selfish of him to try to take that away from other people.’’
Sean Cotter can be reached at sean.cotter@globe.com.
