Like thousands of students from across the island of Ireland who head across the Atlantic every year, Callum O'Reilly had considered studying in the United States – but not any more.
Hundreds of foreign students have had their international student visas revoked in recent months, with many of those targeted having taken part in some form of pro-Palestinian activity.
President Donald Trump, who issued an executive order in January promising to combat antisemitism, described the arrest of a Palestinian activist last month as the first "of many to come".
J1 visas are traditionally a a rite of passage for students on both sides of the Irish border – but for Mr O'Reilly, a Queen's University Belfast student, the idea of being detained while in the United States is "terrifying".
"It's a very scary thing, especially as a student of history," he said, adding that he is considering other options for studying abroad.
Mr O'Reilly said he had been "politically active, focusing on reproductive rights".
"That is something that is under fire in the [United] States."
He added that having "pro-Palestine" beliefs have added to his worries about studying in the US.
Mr O'Reilly said that he expects that he won't be the only student rethinking their plans.
"When young people see what's going on, you're put off by how things are going."
What is happening to foreign students in the US?
On Tuesday, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) issued advice warning students to be cautious about "activism" while on the annual J1 visa programme this summer.
Thousands of Irish students participate in the visa programme each year.
The USI said that activism includes participating in peaceful protests or demonstrations, sharing opinions and information on social media platforms, joining or forming advocacy groups, and, displaying symbols or messages.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that student visas are for studying and warned they would be revoked if they were seen as engaging in "destabilizing" acts.
The Trump administration has said repeatedly that visas are a "privilege" and can be revoked at any time for a wide variety of reasons.
However, figures from Inside Higher Ed, an online news site, suggests more than 1,000 international students or recent graduates have had their visas revoked or legal statuses changed.
