Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that the US would begin revoking visas of some Chinese students, including those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or studying critical fields. Rubio shared this update in a post on X, stating the State Department would “aggressively” revoke visas. China ranked as the second-largest source of international students in the US. During the 2023–2024 academic year, over 270,000 Chinese students enrolled in US institutions, accounting for nearly a quarter of all international students.

This announcement came amid growing uncertainty for international students. On Tuesday, Rubio suspended the scheduling of new visa interviews as the State Department prepared stricter guidelines. These guidelines included increased monitoring of students’ social media activities.

The crackdown heightened concerns among international students, who already faced pressure during the Trump administration. Critics accused the administration of using national security as a pretext to reduce the number of foreign students on US campuses.

The visa revocations followed closely after the Trump administration tried to block Harvard University from enrolling new international students. A federal judge paused that action pending ongoing litigation. On Wednesday, Trump defended the move, telling reporters, “Harvard should limit international student enrollment to around 15%. I want to make sure the foreign students are people that can love our country.”

The administration had previously faced backlash over immigration actions. These included the arrest and attempted deportation of students involved in pro-Palestine campus protests and the abrupt cancellation—and later partial reinstatement—of legal protections for thousands of international students.

Many students expressed feeling trapped and worried about their visas, safety, and futures in the US. “There’s a growing fear among us,” said one Chinese graduate student who asked to remain anonymous. “We came here to learn and contribute. Now we’re treated as threats.”

Universities, advocacy groups, and immigration experts voiced concern that these policies could discourage top talent from coming to the US, potentially weakening the country’s standing as a global education hub.