US President Donald Trump addressed concerns regarding Chinese international students studying in the United States amidst his administration's recent measures targeting their permissions. Despite the administration's firm stance on foreign students, Trump reassured reporters late Friday that the Chinese students currently in the US would be "ok" and that "it’s going to work out fine."
This statement follows the administration's announcement to specifically scrutinize permissions granted to Chinese students as part of a broader crackdown on US higher education institutions.
Trump emphasized that the government aims to "check out the individual students we have," applying similar scrutiny to all colleges across the country. This marked a somewhat softer tone compared to previous harder-line approaches.
Earlier in the week, a judge extended a temporary injunction preventing the government from stopping Harvard University from enrolling international students. Harvard has been resisting government demands to provide a list of students under scrutiny, which Trump criticized, suggesting the university may be withholding names of students with problematic affiliations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously declared intentions to "aggressively" revoke visas from Chinese students. Thousands of such visas have already been rescinded, often linked to activism critical of foreign policies abroad, as well as minor infractions.
Harvard University’s president recently received significant applause during graduation ceremonies after calling for universities to stand resilient amid the federal government's increasing pressure on students and academic institutions.
Trump concluded by stating the importance of attracting students who "can love our country and take care of our country and cherish our country." It is noteworthy that international students constitute just under six percent of US university enrollments, a figure considerably lower than in other popular destinations such as the United Kingdom, where international students account for approximately 25 percent.
