By peterside Rejoice Eneky
U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to calm growing concerns among Chinese students in the United States following a week of heightened scrutiny and visa revocations by his administration.
Speaking to reporters late Friday, Trump insisted that Chinese students currently enrolled in U.S. institutions “are going to be ok,” even as his administration moves forward with policies that specifically target Chinese nationals in academia.
“We just want to check out the individual students we have. And that’s true with all colleges,” the president said in a shift to a softer tone after days of intensified pressure on universities.
The reassurance follows a federal judge’s decision Thursday to extend a temporary block on the administration’s attempt to bar Harvard University from enrolling certain international students. The Trump administration has demanded that the Ivy League school provide a list of students of interest to federal authorities — a request Harvard has so far refused.
“I don’t know why Harvard’s not giving us the list,” Trump said. “They ought to give us a list and get themselves out of trouble… They have names on there that supposedly are quite bad.”
The dispute is part of a broader standoff between the Trump administration and U.S. higher education institutions, which have pushed back against what they see as politically motivated interventions in academic affairs.
At Harvard’s graduation ceremony earlier this week, university president Alan Garber received a standing ovation after calling on universities to remain “firm” in the face of government overreach. “We want people that can love our country and take care of our country and cherish our country,” Trump said Friday in response to the backlash.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added fuel to the controversy on Wednesday, vowing to “aggressively” revoke visas of Chinese students. Thousands of visas have already been cancelled, with officials citing reasons ranging from political activism — particularly criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza — to minor infractions such as traffic violations.
International students make up just under six percent of the U.S. university population, a significantly smaller proportion than in countries like the U.K., where they represent about 25 percent.
Despite assurances from Trump, uncertainty remains for many foreign students navigating an increasingly hostile environment in U.S. academia.
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