International students at the University of New Brunswick are praising their school for measures it's taking in preparation for what they call “the inevitable.”

The students and the university believe Donald Trump's controversial travel ban will be back in place as early as this week.

UNB student Ishtar Al-Tahir of Iraq says the ban is a personal and emotional issue.

“We're supposed to be open to each other and the fact that it's preventing people,” said Al-Tahir, holding back tears. “The fact that you're preventing people from coming in just because of where they lived, just because of their religion. It's not right.”

The fourth-year electrical engineering student is almost 10,000 kilometres away from home. She also has relatives living in the United States.

“Everybody needs each other,” said Al-Tahir. “Somebody maybe smarter than you, somebody maybe more skilled than you, and the fact that you're stopping them from reaching ability just because of their religion or just because of their country is not right.”

While the original executive order has been suspended, Trump’s potential new ban has many international students on edge.

There are over 100 people at UNB from the seven countries singled-out in the Trump ban, which is why the university says this time it wants to be proactive for potential students caught in the political crossfire.

“There are literally thousands of students right now in the United States that could be affected by the immigration ban, travel ban, or students who are abroad who are otherwise thinking of coming to the United States and now maybe looking at Canada,” said George MacLean, vice-president of academic at UNB.

The school says it will treat any applicants who could be affected by the ban as refugees, which will speed up their applications, getting them accepted quicker and waive any initial fees.

Steps are also being taken to make sure students have a place to live when they arrive to the region.

“When this hits, and it's probably more likely a when than an if, UNB will be seen as an option for students that will be affected by that,” said MacLean.

The plan is already getting praise from international students attending UNB.

"I think they are lucky to be accepted at UNB and I'm sure UNB will be a better place for them," said Raghad Agha of Iraq.

For Ishtar Al-Tahir, it's an encouraging sign of humanity for a deeply personal issue.

“The fact that UNB is opening their arms and welcoming any students that maybe affected by this, is amazing.”

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.