Exploiting Overseas Scholars: Trump's Attack Threatens American Lifeline for International Students
In a dramatic shift, President Trump's messages towards American higher education have escalated to hostility. Accusations of enemy status have led to unprecedented measures aimed at international students, causing concerns within the academic community and beyond.
Fearing a clash with an adversarial academic establishment, Trump's administration has launched a series of actions that experts predict will likely reduce international student enrollment and potentially trigger a brain drain of top academic talent.
In quick succession, various initiatives have been proposed to bar foreign students from universities like Harvard, one of the nation's most prestigious institutions. Further, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to intensify efforts to revoke visas for students from China, long the prime source of international students in the United States, albeit recently surpassed by India.
The scope of Rubio's actions extends beyond political activism criticizing Israel's Gaza offensive to minor traffic violations and other petty infractions, resulting in thousands of visa revocations.
"The United States had historically held a reputation worldwide for fostering scientific and technical research, which is a key attraction for individuals from countries with limited openness," stated Phoebe Sengers, a professor at Cornell University specializing in information science and science and technology studies. Sengers cautioned that international student numbers will likely plummet in the coming years.
"If these students cannot attend here, they will remain in their home countries or migrate to other nations offering technical education. They will establish businesses there and directly compete with our companies," she added.
Universities Under Fire
American universities have long been renowned for their academic excellence, albeit at expensive prices for international students. The tuition fees paid by these students are a crucial source of income, as are federal research grants, which the Trump administration is also seeking to reduce.
The State Department has justified its crackdown on foreign students by citing China's alleged theft of US technology. Meanwhile, Trump has voiced support for offering more opportunities to American-born students.
Nevertheless, Trump's inner circle has consistently advocated for confronting universities—whose politically liberal faculties, high tuition costs, and exclusive admission policies make them easy targets for a presidency centered on combating elites and foreigners.
Vice President JD Vance openly expressed his intention to dismantle the influence of the academic world in a 2021 speech entitled "The universities are the enemy." Despite this stance, Vance himself ascended from poverty to power by attending Yale Law School, one of the country's most elite institutions.
Universities significantly influence the economy, with international students contributing $50 billion to the American economy in 2023, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. Many top U.S. entrepreneurs are immigrants who arrived as students, accounting for around half of the Fortune 500 companies.
Krishna Bista, a professor at Morgan State University who studies international student mobility, commented that the Trump administration's tone might deter even the most qualified applicants. "It's not merely a visa issue—it impacts the sense of safety, belonging, and academic freedom for students," he said. "Other nations are actively recruiting academic talent, so it seems irrational for the U.S. to push it away."
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has extended fast-track admissions to Harvard students targeted by Trump's policies.
Rising Competition
Although the U.S. has historically courted international students, the number declined following the September 11, 2001 attacks due to stricter visa policies. A record 1.1 million international students studied in the U.S. in the 2023-24 academic year, according to a report backed by the State Department. However, international students account for less than six percent of the US university population, significantly lower than second-ranked Britain, where the figure is over 25 percent.
With the opportunity to alter course potentially slipping away, some experts question the long-term implications of these policies. "Even if everything changed tomorrow, our reputation as an open and welcoming society has already sustained significant damage," Sengers said. "It would take a concerted effort to return to where we were just four months ago."
© 2025 AFP
- The Trump administration's hostility towards American higher education has sparked concerns, not only within the academic community, but internationally as well.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio's actions extend beyond political activism, affecting students from countries like China and India, traditionally the top sources of international students in the United States.
- Phoebe Sengers, a professor at Cornell University, worried that Trump's policies could lead to a brain drain of top academic talent, as international students might choose to establish businesses in other nations rather than the United States.
- American universities, known for their academic excellence, are facing threats not only from stricter visa policies, but also from the Trump administration's efforts to reduce federal research grants.
- While the United States historically had a reputation for fostering scientific and technical research, the general news about the administration's actions towards international students might encourage these students to seek educational opportunities in other international locations, such as India or Israel.
