Distressed students, panicked parents have been calling Subash Devatwal, who runs an education consultancy in Ahmedabad. They all have one question – whether studying in the US is still possible.

Last year there were 330,000 Indians enrolled at American universities, more than any other nationality, even surpassing Chinese students for the first time in years. Families in India invest their entire life savings to get their children enrolled in US universities, as for most, it is the ultimate symbol of success.

However, now that Trump’s administration has targeted international students, the numbers have weakened. Devatwal’s organisation used to send more than 100 students in previous years, but it has now dropped to about 10.

The Trump administration has implemented social media vetting, for all foreign students, and then paused all student visa interviews globally, which has left many students in a state of uncertainty.