Trump administration’s crackdown on international student visas raises many questions, creates uncertainty

Like many universities across the country, the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign has one of the largest international student populations in the country, totaling nearly 12,500 students in 2024. Nearly 50% of those are from China.

But the doors have started closing. Firstly, with student visa revocations. Many international students had their F-1 student visas annulled, meaning they could no longer continue their studies and stay in the U.S. legally. More recently, the Trump administration told embassies to stop new F-1 visa appointments. Then Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration will start “aggressively” canceling Chinese student visas for people with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

The administration says this is all in the name of reformatting its social media vetting process and to root out antisemitism. However, it’s led to a great deal of uncertainty among students and universities. A legal expert on immigrants' rights, a journalist covering higher education, and a Chinese student who formerly attended U of I join the conversation.

GUESTS

Nicole Hallett
Clinical Professor of Law, University of Chicago Law School
Director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, University of Chicago Law School

Karin Fischer 
Senior Writer, The Chronicle for Higher Education

David Gao 
Third-Year PhD Student, University of California San Diego
Formerly University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Student