Trump Says Chinese Students at US Colleges Will Be ‘Fine’ - Bloomberg

Trump Says Chinese Students at US Colleges Will Be ‘Fine’ - Bloomberg

The Trump administration has announced a new policy that will "aggressively" revoke the visas of Chinese students studying in the United States. This move, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, is part of a broader effort to tighten visa restrictions and enhance scrutiny of visa applicants from China and Hong Kong [1].

Rubio stated that the new policy will target "those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." The administration will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of future applicants from these regions. The move comes amidst deteriorating relations between the United States and China, which have been strained by a tit-for-tat trade war [1].

The new policy has sent shockwaves through higher education, as Chinese students contribute significantly to the financial health of American universities. According to the Institute of International Education, there were around 280,000 Chinese students studying in the US last year, accounting for about a quarter of the total international student population [2].

The policy has raised concerns about academic freedom and free speech violations. Jonathan Friedman, managing director of U.S. free expression at PEN America, noted that the new policy "holds student visas hostage to an ideological litmus test and disrupts the open exchange of ideas across cultures and borders" [2].

The Trump administration has previously targeted international students, including those at Harvard University, which it accuses of being too liberal and failing to combat antisemitism on campus. Harvard has filed a lawsuit against the administration, alleging that revoking its certification to host international students could inflict "irreparable harm" on the university [1].

The new policy could lead to a significant reduction in foreign students at American universities, particularly in STEM fields where Chinese students are heavily represented. The targeting of students in "critical fields" could devastate research labs at smaller universities [2].

The administration has not clarified the scope of the new policy or the timeline for visa revocations. A spokesperson for the State Department declined to provide details, citing the need to keep the policy effective [2].

The new visa policy is part of a broader trend of the Trump administration targeting specific international student populations. The administration briefly retreated from its persecution of international students in April after successful court challenges, but has since resumed its campaign [2].

References:

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg78xng04xo
[2] https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2025/05/30/trump-targets-chinese-students-harsh-blow-higher