This initiative is part of a broader effort to scrutinize incoming international students, with recent revocations of thousands of visas
The Trump administration has announced plans to “aggressively revoke” visas for certain Chinese students, particularly those studying in unspecified “critical fields” or with links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The initiative, coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security, will also involve revising visa criteria to increase scrutiny for future applications from China and Hong Kong.
Nearly 300,000 student visas are granted to Chinese nationals annually. Representative Riley Moore, who introduced the Stop CCP Visas Act, supports the move, citing security concerns and past incidents, including espionage linked to CCP members.
The announcement follows an internal directive pausing new student visa interviews and builds on previous visa revocations affecting over 4,000 foreign nationals with criminal charges. Rubio has also targeted students involved in anti-Israel campus protests.
A federal judge recently blocked an attempt to revoke visas for 7,000 Harvard students. Additionally, the administration has capped foreign student enrollment at Harvard at 15% and frozen $2.2 billion in federal funding