logo
‘Nobody checked our phones at the airport': the reality of life as a J1 student in Trump's America

‘Nobody checked our phones at the airport': the reality of life as a J1 student in Trump's America

Homesickness and American food appear to be bigger worries than the dread of being deported over social media posts
Today at 00:30
It was a nervous wait for Jessica Weld. As she shuffled forward in the queue at US border control, the Trinity College Dublin student's mind was racing.
She had seen the reports about students' visas being revoked. About immigration officials demanding new arrivals hand over their phones so their social media accounts could be scanned for suspect posts. About intense questioning on political opinions.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UNHCR's Ireland office to lose several positions in Dublin
UNHCR's Ireland office to lose several positions in Dublin

RTÉ News​

time2 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

UNHCR's Ireland office to lose several positions in Dublin

UNHCR's Ireland office is to lose several positions in Dublin while other roles are being downgraded. It follows a wider review of positions within the UN refugee agency, which has been impacted by the global cuts being imposed across the sector. Irish based staff have been informed of the impacts affecting the Irish branch but have been reassured that the UNHCR will remain a national office and it will maintain a presence in Ireland. It is understood that the staff cuts will come into effect by September. The US President Donald Trump has scaled back American commitments as the world's single largest aid donor by slashing US aid programs. The United States Agency for International Development has recently been formally wound down after 83% of its programs were cancelled earlier this year. In a statement issued to RTÉ News, a spokesperson said that the UNHCR will continue its work with and on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers in line with its mandate. As part of the agency's broader cost-cutting measures, UNHCR has had to close or downsize offices worldwide and implement a nearly 50% reduction in senior positions at its Geneva headquarters and regional bureaus. In total, approximately 3,500 staff positions will be discontinued. Overall, UNHCR estimates a global reduction in staffing costs of around 30%. Humanitarian agencies have warned that 14 million lives could be lost due to President Trump's aid cuts. UNHCR's recently published Global Trends Report shows that the number of people uprooted by war is at decade high levels. The report calls for continued funding of UNHCR programmes that save lives, reinforce basic infrastructure and services in host countries.

John Cena and Idris Elba team up for buddy movie Heads of State
John Cena and Idris Elba team up for buddy movie Heads of State

RTÉ News​

time3 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

John Cena and Idris Elba team up for buddy movie Heads of State

Actors John Cena and Idris Elba embark on a wild friendship journey in the comedy action-adventure Heads of State. Cena plays Hollywood action hero turned US President Will Derringer while Elba stars as the experienced and cranky British Prime Minister Sam Clarke, an army veteran. When a tense meeting between the two disparate leaders is followed by an attack that threatens to blow up the world order, they must come together to save the day. Cena and Elba, who also executive produced the movie, previously worked together on the 2021 superhero film The Suicide Squad. "Honestly, our time on screen is effortless. He brings the best out of me and, in his words, I try to do my best to provide an environment where he can shine," Cena said at the movie's London premiere on Tuesday. "I love the friendship nature of this film," he added. Heads of State is directed by Russian filmmaker and musician Ilya Naishuller, who said Cena and Elba brought a realness to their roles. "They feed off each other as any good couple would, and they know how to argue together in such a way where this is the perfect combination of the American happy-go-lucky, optimistic president and the prime minister who is real about the job and how difficult it is," Naishuller said, adding he set out to make a summer blockbuster in the vein of the buddy action comedies of the 1980s and 90s. "The goal was, I want to do an hour and 45 of the highest quality entertainment I can do and just do a crowd-pleaser and make sure that the people sitting at home on July the 4th are going to be united and having a great time," he said. Heads of State also stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the role of the pun-loving top MI6 agent Noel Bisset. "It was really different, because it was a comedy. Most of the action I've done has been in drama and thrillers," Chopra Jonas said. "I love my puns," she added. "I mean, listen, I love a good pun. You've got to be smart to be punny."

The Indo Daily: Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, ‘Alligator Alcatraz', Rushmore ambitions and a new Irish envoy
The Indo Daily: Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, ‘Alligator Alcatraz', Rushmore ambitions and a new Irish envoy

Irish Independent

time3 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

The Indo Daily: Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, ‘Alligator Alcatraz', Rushmore ambitions and a new Irish envoy

Nearly 1,000 pages long and packed full of spending cuts and tax breaks, Trump has promised the bill will help the average American. His opponents aren't so sure. The president's former ally, Elon Musk, is among its most vocal critics, reigniting a prickly feud between the two that could see the world's richest man set up his own political party. While Washington wages battle over policy, the Trump show continues – from his 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention centre, to carving his face into the historic Mount Rushmore. And this week, his ambassador to Ireland has arrived full of enthusiasm – but without his goat. Today on The Indo Daily, Kevin Doyle is joined by Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at UCD's Clinton Institute, and by Gina London, Sunday Independent columnist and former CNN correspondent, to look at one of Trump's biggest policy moves to date and ask – could he really deport Elon Musk?

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store