U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday sought to reassure Chinese international students, saying they would be “fine” despite his administration’s growing scrutiny of foreign students and universities.
“They’re going to be okay. It’s going to work out fine,” Trump told reporters when asked about the impact of his policies on Chinese students. “We just want to check out the individual students we have. And that’s true with all colleges.”
His remarks came just days after the administration announced plans to tighten visa restrictions on Chinese nationals studying in the U.S., citing national security concerns. The move has drawn criticism from universities and rights groups.
Tensions further escalated when a judge extended a temporary block on the administration’s attempt to stop Harvard from enrolling new international students.
Trump criticized the university for refusing to hand over a list of students sought by the government, implying the school was hiding individuals of concern.
“I don’t know why Harvard’s not giving us the list. There’s something going on,” Trump said. “They ought to give us a list and get themselves out of trouble.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to continue revoking visas, citing activism around Gaza, traffic violations, and other reasons. Thousands of visas have already been rescinded.
At Harvard’s graduation this week, university president Alan Garber received a standing ovation after urging schools to resist government pressure and defend their students.
“We want people that can love our country and take care of our country,” Trump added.
International students currently make up just under 6% of the U.S. university population, far less than the U.K., where they account for around 25%.
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