U.S. President Donald Trump sought to reassure Chinese international students on Friday, telling reporters they would “be fine” despite his administration’s recent visa crackdown targeting academia.
Earlier in the week, Trump officials announced plans to tighten visa permissions for Chinese students as part of a broader move against U.S. higher education institutions. But when asked what message he had for Chinese students currently studying in the U.S., Trump replied: “They’re going to be ok. It’s going to work out fine.”
He added, “We just want to check out the individual students we have. And that’s true with all colleges.”
Trump’s remarks followed a federal judge’s decision on Thursday to extend a block on the administration’s attempt to stop Harvard University from enrolling international students.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed on Wednesday to continue revoking visas for Chinese students, citing national security concerns. Thousands of visas have already been cancelled, reportedly due to students’ participation in protests critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza, as well as for minor infractions like traffic violations.
The Trump administration’s conflict with U.S. universities, especially Harvard, has intensified in recent months. Federal officials have demanded that the Ivy League school hand over a list of specific students—something Harvard has refused to do.
“I don’t know why Harvard’s not giving us the list. There’s something going on,” Trump said Friday. “They ought to give us the list and get themselves out of trouble.”
He suggested the school was hiding names “that supposedly are quite bad.”
At Harvard’s graduation ceremonies this week, University President Alan Garber received a standing ovation after urging higher education institutions to stand “firm” in the face of the Trump administration’s actions.
“We want people that can love our country and take care of our country and cherish our country,” Trump said, reiterating his administration’s immigration stance.
International students currently represent just under 6% of the U.S. university population, compared to 25% in the UK, the world’s second most popular destination for international students.
