He left US for an internship. Trump travel ban made it impossible to return

January 27, 2026

Patrick Thaw, a University of Michigan neuroscience student from Myanmar, became stranded in Singapore after a summer internship when President Trump's travel ban prevented him from renewing his U.S. student visa. The Myanmar native, who had fled civil war in his home country to pursue his American college dream, was forced to abandon his education at Michigan where he had thrived academically and socially since 2023. Unable to wait indefinitely for the travel ban to end, Thaw applied to universities in other countries and is now hoping to attend the University of Toronto, which would keep him relatively close to his Michigan friends.

Who is affected

Patrick Thaw, a 21-year-old neuroscience major from Myanmar at University of Michigan
International students from Myanmar (over 1,400 with U.S. student visas as of summer 2024)
International students from the other 11 countries included in Trump's travel ban
Nearly 1.2 million international students hosted by the U.S. during the 2024-25 school year
Thaw's friends at University of Michigan, including Allison Voto and his dorm roommate's friend group
Professor Cara Rock-Singer and colleagues at University of Michigan
U.S. universities experiencing drops in foreign enrollment for first-time students

What action is being taken

Thaw is applying to colleges outside the U.S. in Australia and Canada
Universities are implementing flexible solutions such as bringing back pandemic-era remote learning arrangements and offering admission to international partner campuses
University of Michigan is providing support and options to affected international students
Thaw is waiting in Singapore with limited activities while his situation remains unresolved

Why it matters

This situation demonstrates how immigration policy can abruptly derail the educational paths and life plans of students who have already invested years in their studies and integrated into campus communities. The travel ban not only affects individual students' academic futures but also disrupts U.S. universities' enrollment numbers and international diversity, forcing institutions to create workaround solutions. For students like Thaw who fled conflict zones seeking educational opportunities, these restrictions eliminate the stability and safety they worked so hard to achieve, while their American peers lose valuable cross-cultural perspectives and friendships that broaden their understanding of the world.

What's next

Thaw is waiting to hear back and holding out hope to attend the University of Toronto
Thaw plans to finish his education at whichever institution accepts him outside the U.S.
His friends, including Allison Voto, plan to visit him if he enrolls anywhere in North America

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com