{"id":15600,"date":"2025-05-29T00:40:05","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T07:40:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/?p=15600"},"modified":"2025-05-29T00:40:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T07:40:05","slug":"u-s-to-revoke-chinese-student-visas-aggressively-says-marco-rubio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/u-s-to-revoke-chinese-student-visas-aggressively-says-marco-rubio\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. to Revoke Chinese Student Visas ‘Aggressively’, Says Marco Rubio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to the Visa Revocation<\/h2>\n

The U.S. is poised to \u201caggressively\u201d revoke visas issued to an unspecified number of students from China, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday. The action is expected to intensify the Trump administration\u2019s clash with universities over their international students, a chaotic showdown that has upended campus life, threatened a major stream of university income during a time of deep federal funding cuts and spilled into courtrooms across the country.<\/p>\n

Reasons Behind the Revocation<\/h2>\n

Rubio said on X that the revocation will include \u201cthose with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,\u201d without elaborating on what areas of study would be targeted or whether the move would apply solely to college students. He said in a statement that the U.S. State Department and the Department of Homeland Security would \u201caggressively\u201d revoke the visas, while also revising \u201cvisa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People\u2019s Republic of China and Hong Kong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Impact on International Students<\/h2>\n

The most recent data from the Institute of International Education said that more than 1.1 million foreign students \u2014 over half of whom are Chinese or Indian nationals \u2014 were in the U.S. for undergraduate, graduate or postgraduation work training programs in 2023-24. The largest share of all international students attended institutions in California, the report said. In California, Chinese students are the biggest group of international students. The 51,000 Chinese nationals in California make up more than a third of the state\u2019s nearly 141,000 foreign students. At USC alone, there were nearly 6,000 Chinese students as of fall 2024.<\/p>\n

Universities Affected<\/h2>\n

USC, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego and UCLA drew the largest numbers of overall international students. Kevin Lu, who is from Shenzhen, China, and graduated with a finance degree from USC in December, said the statement from Rubio was \u201creally disappointing.\u201d Lu, who is working for an investment bank in Orange County, is on a visa under \u201coptional practical training,\u201d a work authorization commonly given to international student graduates to gain professional experience.<\/p>\n

Reactions from Students and Academics<\/h2>\n

\u201cAfter this news, I may postpone any international travel because once I leave the country, I might have a bigger risk of not being able to come back,\u201d Lu said. \u201cI wonder if they revoke enough student visas it will be a hit for the U.S. economy because international students are not only a source of income for universities \u2014 we pay more for tuition \u2014 but we also offer value to universities and companies.\u201d S. Jack Hu, who was selected as the incoming UC Riverside chancellor Wednesday and who was born in China, said he had not seen Rubio\u2019s announcement but believed the U.S. remained a \u201cdraw for international talents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ongoing Policy Changes and Court Battles<\/h2>\n

The announcement comes as higher education has been roiled by a litany of policy changes related to foreign students. The efforts by the Trump administration have sown fear on campuses nationwide and led some students to depart. On Tuesday, the State Department stopped scheduling visa interviews with students from foreign countries aiming to relocate their studies stateside, though it said the move was temporary. The department said it was preparing to increase the vetting of prospective international students\u2019 social media activity. Days earlier, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University\u2019s ability to enroll foreign students. The Massachusetts institution quickly filed a lawsuit over the action and won a temporary stop to the government\u2019s ban.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

The decision to revoke Chinese student visas is part of a broader, contentious landscape involving international students in the U.S. As the situation continues to unfold, it poses significant questions about the future of international education, the impact on the economy, and the roles that international students play in American universities and beyond.<\/p>\n

FAQs<\/h2>\n