Latest news with #VisaRevocation
The Guardian
05-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Total discrimination': Chinese students facing US visa ban say their lives are in limbo
Chinese students in the United States are questioning their future in the country after the state department announced last week that it would 'aggressively' revoke visas for Chinese students and enhance scrutiny of future applications from China and Hong Kong. Chinese students hoping to study at Harvard, the US's oldest and wealthiest university, are under particular pressure after the Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it was banning the school from enrolling new foreign students. The presidential proclamation cited Harvard's links with China as a particular cause for concern. For Jerry*, a 22-year-old applied mathematics student at the University of California, Los Angeles, the uncertainty started last month, when the Trump administration suddenly halted Harvard University's ability to enrol any international students. Jerry has a place on a health data science masters programme at Harvard, which is due to start in the autumn. The US government's attempt to ban Harvard from accepting international students appears to have been blocked, at least temporarily, by the courts. But Trump's announcement on Wednesday invokes a different legal authority. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, has announced that the authorities will be targeting Chinese students specifically, nationwide. It is 'total discrimination,' Jerry said. 'I don't think anyone would consider that reason sufficient. That's just pushing Chinese students to go elsewhere'. Unsure about whether or not he will be able to enrol at Harvard, Jerry is considering taking up a place on a PhD programme at Oxford University in the UK. He said on Thursday that following Trump's latest attack on Harvard, Oxford seems like an even more likely option. Although he hopes to study at Harvard, Jerry feels lucky to have a back-up plan. 'A lot of the people who accepted Harvard offers don't have other options. So it must be much more anxious for them'. Across the US, universities have been scrambling to find ways to reassure the hundreds of thousands of Chinese students on their campuses about their academic future. In a memo sent to Chinese students at University of Oregon, the school described the state department's announcement about revoking the visas for Chinese students as 'vague' and said: 'A revoked passport does not impact your legal status in the US because it is only an entry document used when entering the US'. However, the university warned that a revoked visa could lead to removal proceedings by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). Warning about being targeted by ICE have taken on a new gravity since the agency started targeting international students with the lawful right to remain in the country. They include Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestine activist who was detained despite holding a green card to reside in the US. Khalil is now fighting a deportation order. Steven*, a 34-year-old Chinese PhD student at the University of Oregon, said that although he is not planning to apply for a new student visa soon, the prospect of an encounter with ICE concerned him. 'Nowadays, even if you have a green card, you have legitimate status, you could get caught by ICE, because these guys are crazy'. Steven has been in the US for a decade. In that time, the US has become a less attractive destination for Chinese students, he said, something he sees borne out in his part-time job helping Chinese students with their college applications. The numbers wanting to study in the US have declined, with people favouring countries in South-east Asia, such as Singapore, which are more culturally similar to China. The US is 'just not that friendly' any more, Steven says. The loss of top Chinese students in the US would be a blow to academic research, and to the funding for higher education institutions, experts say. In the 2023-2024 academic year, there were about 277,400 Chinese students in the US, according to government statistics. That is a 25% drop compared to 2019-2020. 'By barring Chinese students and scholars from America, the Trump administration will strangle the pipeline of high-end talent into our universities, companies, and research institutes, sparking a serious deficit in talent and expertise that will damage American competitiveness,' said Denis Simon, non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute, who specialises in science and technology policy in China. The state department's announcement last week specified that students with connections to the Chinese Communist party (CCP) or studying in 'critical fields' would be included in the visa crackdown. For years, the US has tried to root out Chinese espionage in academia, with concerns raised about CCP-backed programmes to recruit top talent in science and technology fields that are strategically important to China. But academics and campaigners say that this has bled over into racism, with all Chinese researchers or those of Chinese heritage being treated with suspicion. Jerry, the mathematics student, said he has experienced discrimination in the US, but not on campus. But if Chinese researchers, staff and PhD students feel they have to leave the US because of an increasingly hostile environment, 'it's going to be a disaster for American universities,' he said. *Names have been changed Additional research by Lillian Yang
Fox News
03-06-2025
- General
- Fox News
President Trump's visa policy thwarts China's spy network on college campuses
A suspected communist Chinese spy got so close to Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell in 2015 that the FBI had to step in to shut down the threat. The Chinese communist agent was a fundraising "bundler" for Swalwell's congressional re-election, had volunteered for numerous Democratic campaigns and facilitated intern assignments in Swalwell's office. And it all started with a student visa to a California university. The Fang Fang case exemplifies a disturbing pattern: Chinese communist spies gaining entry and access to policymakers through seemingly innocuous student visas to U.S. colleges and universities. It's a stark reminder of the urgent need for President Donald Trump's strong and decisive action to aggressively revoke visas of students linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). "Under President Trump's leadership, the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields," Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday. "We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong." The new visa policy is long overdue. Beijing thinks in centuries, patiently deploying operatives as students for a payoff years later. In July 2020, FBI Director Chris Wray warned, "China – the Chinese Communist Party – believes it is in a generational fight to surpass our country in economic and technological leadership." The Swalwell spy affair isn't an isolated incident. "She was just one of lots of agents," a senior U.S. intelligence official said when news of the Swalwell case broke. At that time, the FBI maintained roughly 2,500 active FBI counterintelligence cases related to China. Chinese communist espionage starts on college campuses, where connections are formed with aspiring political leaders. Fang Fang's path, according to the FBI, was a textbook example: enrollment at California State University, East Bay, followed by active participation in student political organizations, even leading campus chapters of the Chinese Student Association and the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs. Chinese Embassy and consulate officials have helped facilitate 124 chapters of Chinese students and scholars associations. It's through those very campus organizations that the Chinese spy first made contact with Swalwell and other Democratic politicians. "CSSAs often attempt to conceal or obscure their ties to the Chinese government, frequently omitting incriminating language from the English-language versions of their websites—the ones typically reviewed by university administrators," the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission concluded in 2018. In addition to student associations, China has established joint-venture education programs and institutions in the United States. For years, China built an extensive network of Confucius Institutes on college and university campuses in the United States. Marketed as language learning and cultural programs, the Confucius Institutes acted as a vehicle for Chinese government influence in the United States. Confucius Institute staff were forced to pledge loyalty to protect Chinese national interests. After Congress restricted federal funding to schools with institutes, the institutes have almost all closed, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Closed but the espionage continues. Earlier this month, a bombshell report out of Stanford University exposed a sophisticated CCP intelligence operation targeting Stanford students, particularly those in sensitive fields like AI and robotics. U.S. colleges and universities aren't just a "soft target" for Chinese Communist espionage. They are, in many cases, compromised institutions. As of February 2025, U.S. colleges and universities reported more than $4 billion in foreign funding from China. That's only the disclosed money. Over the past decade, as much as $60 billion in foreign funds have been funneled into American colleges and universities. In 2023, I served on the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, which warned about the CCP gaining access to research at UC Berkeley through its Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute The Biden administration ignored our concerns that the Chinese government could gain access to sensitive economic, technological and military research. Thankfully, the Trump administration launched an investigation into UC Berkeley this spring for failing to report $220 million in foreign funds from the Chinese government related to Berkeley's PRC-backed collaboration with Tsinghua University. After four years of willful ignorance – or gross incompetence – under the Biden administration, President Trump has wasted no time in directing his administration to take the decisive, necessary action to finally thwart the pervasive and growing threat of Chinese communist espionage on U.S. college campuses. The president's new visa policy is a critical step in securing America's national security.
Free Malaysia Today
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
US will not tolerate Chinese ‘exploitation' of universities, theft of research
The Harvard University School of Law graduating class participates in the 374th commencement ceremonies held at the Cambridge campus. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON : The US will not tolerate 'exploitation' of American universities by the Chinese Communist Party or theft of US research and intellectual property, state department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Thursday. In a briefing at the state department, Bruce declined to provide numbers for how many Chinese students would be affected by a new plan to 'aggressively' revoke visas announced on Wednesday, but said officials would scrutinise anyone 'deemed to be a threat to the country or a problem.' She declined to detail how those who pose a threat would be determined. Secretary of state Marco Rubio, announcing the new crackdown, said it would target students including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or studying in critical fields. 'When it comes to keeping America safe, the US, I further can say here, will not tolerate the CCP's exploitation of US universities or theft of US research intellectual property or technologies to grow its military power, conduct intelligence collection or repress voices of opposition,' Bruce said. The announcement on Chinese student visa holders came after the Trump administration ordered its missions all over the world to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants. Asked when appointments would come back online, Bruce did not say but recommended that applicants continue checking the US visa system for new appointments.
New York Times
30-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
Chinese Students Rattled by Trump Plan to ‘Aggressively' Revoke Visas
It had been all figured out, Cici Wang said. Summer at home in China, then back to get her master's degree in Chicago. After that, if she was lucky, a job in the United States. Now all of that is up in the air, she said, a potential casualty of a crackdown that has upended the future for more than 277,000 Chinese nationals studying in this country. 'Hopefully, I'll be fine,' said Ms. Wang, a 22-year-old aspiring computer scientist, sitting with her parents in the stately main quad of the University of Chicago on Thursday. 'But I'm not sure.' Across the country, Chinese students reeled Thursday from Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement that the Trump administration would begin 'aggressively' revoking visas for Chinese students studying in the United States. More than two dozen students studying in the United States, most of whom did not want their names published for fear of retaliation, told The New York Times that they worried they could lose their academic opportunities in an instant, with little explanation. In a statement late Wednesday, the State Department announced it was focusing on those who were studying in 'critical fields' or who had ties to the Chinese Communist Party and was revising visa criteria to 'enhance scrutiny' of all future applications from China, including Hong Kong. The vague parameters had a chilling effect on Thursday as students wondered how broadly the Trump administration would apply its new criteria. Mr. Rubio did not define 'critical fields,' but science students felt particularly vulnerable because American officials have expressed concerns about the recruiting of U.S.-trained scientists by China. Nor was it clear how American officials would determine which students had ties to the Communist Party. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Independent
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Rubio wants to ‘aggressively' revoke Chinese student visas. Trump officials won't say how they're vetting them
Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to ' aggressively revoke ' Chinese student visas, targeting students with 'connections to the Chinese Communist Party ' and those who are 'studying in critical fields.' His two-sentence announcement on Wednesday spared any details explaining how the administration plans to do any of that — blindsiding universities and foreign students now scrambling for guidance about what comes next. But officials won't publicly say how they're deciding whether they believe students are connected to the country's ruling party or what those 'critical fields' of study even are. 'We don't give details about what our methods are,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters Thursday. 'Giving away the nature of how we choose to do things' could 'give up our hand' and undermine national security, she added. The State Department says it's scrutinizing China's 'exploitation of universities' including 'theft of research, intellectual property and technologies' exported to students' home countries, according to Bruce. 'Everyone who is here on a visa has to recognize … that America takes their visas seriously,' she said. 'Vetting is not a one-time process, it's continuing. And if things happen — you get arrested, if there's some kind of an issue — it's probably going to be seen at some point.' Chinese student visa holders 'must recognize' that the Trump administration is 'taking our national security seriously,' she added. 'And we are looking at their visas, and if everything's fine, terrific, but that will be a vetting that certainly continues and it's important clearly to the administration,' she said. Rubio's announcement on Wednesday said the State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to 'aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.' 'We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong,' he added. Roughly 277,000 Chinese students studied in the United States last year, making them the second-largest group of foreign students in the country. Foreign students studying in the U.S. last year contributed approximately $44 billion to the U.S. economy. The announcement also follows the Trump administration's attempt to revoke Harvard University 's ability to enroll international students — which has been blocked in court — and Rubio's order to pause any new appointments for student visas globally. The administration accused Harvard of 'coordinated activity' with China's ruling party, including 'training members of a CCP paramilitary group complicit in the Uyghur genocide.' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused the university of 'fostering violence, antisemitism and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.' 'Chinese Communist Party' was emphasized in boldface. The Trump administration has launched what critics argue is a politically motivated effort to bend universities and institutions to his ideological commands, including unprecedented scrutiny, funding threats and the arrests and deportations of foreign students involved in pro-Palestine demonstrations against Israel's war in Gaza. Advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers argue the administration's latest maneuvers escalate a years-long campaign of xenophobia that now risks a serious brain drain in the U.S. 'The wholesale revocation of student visas based on national origin — and without an investigation — is xenophobic and wrong,' stated the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. 'Turning these students away — many of whom simply wish to learn in a free and democratic society — is not just shortsighted, but a betrayal of our values.' Rubio's 'sweeping policies' targeting students based on their country of origin and field of study 'mark a dangerous escalation in xenophobic rhetoric and risk undermining America's global leadership in science, research, and innovation,' according to the Asian American Scholar Forum. 'This policy threatens to dismantle the international talent pipeline that has long fueled American innovation and excellence,' according to the group's executive director, Gisela Perez Kusakawa. 'Chinese students contribute immensely to our campuses, communities, and economy,' she said. 'Treating them with blanket suspicion not only violates principles of fairness, due process, and our democratic values — it sends a chilling message to the world that America no longer welcomes global talent.' China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also called Rubio's announcement 'politicized and discriminatory.' The action 'lays bare the U.S. lie that it upholds so-called freedom and openness,' she said Thursday. Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee told lawmakers that the city would welcome students who 'face unfair treatment' in the United States. 'I think this is an opportunity for Hong Kong,' he said Thursday. 'We will work with our universities to provide the best support and assistance.' A widely shared post from Hong Kong's University of Science and Technology also invited Harvard students to the school to 'continue their academic pursuits' following Trump's threats to international student visas at the Ivy League school. Average in-state tuition at public colleges and universities is roughly $21,270, and $37,430 for out-of-state. International students pay between $874 and $5,218 more in tuition and fees than out-of-state students, according to a report from the American Council on Education, which represents leaders at 1,600 colleges and universities. Private tuition rates are thousands of dollars higher. If Rubio pulls Chinese student visas, the 'damage' to the United States could be 'enormous and hard to undo,' according to Holger Hestermeyer, Professor of international law at King's College London. 'Now imagine your family in China coughs up that money. And after two years your visa is pulled,' he wrote. 'Refunds? What happens now? And for all future students: is that a risk worth taking?'
