The US administration has announced intensified efforts to revoke visas of Chinese students amid increasing tensions over foreign academic participation. However, former President Donald Trump reassured Chinese international students in the country that they would remain unaffected and declared, "They're going to be okay. It's going to work out fine."
This statement followed the administration's directive to scrutinize individual students across American colleges, with a specific focus on Chinese students.
Trump criticized Harvard University for its refusal to provide a list of Chinese students under government review, stating, "I don't know why Harvard's not giving us the list. There's something going on because Harvard is not giving us a list. They ought to give us a list and get themselves out of trouble." He speculated that the university’s reluctance may be due to the presence of students deemed problematic by the administration.
The ongoing controversy has placed US higher education institutions, including Harvard, at the center of discussions on national security and immigration policies. Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, recently received a standing ovation at a graduation ceremony after urging universities to maintain resilience amid these governmental pressures.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously affirmed the administration's commitment to "aggressively" revoke visas, citing various causes ranging from political activism critical of foreign policy to minor infractions.
Despite these tensions, international students represent just under 6% of the US university population, considerably less than in countries like the United Kingdom, where international students account for approximately 25% of enrollments.
