The U.S. government will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, particularly those linked to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in sensitive academic fields, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday. The move represents a significant escalation in the Trump administration's hardline immigration and national security policy, aimed at curbing alleged Chinese espionage and influence on U.S. college campuses.
"Under President Donald Trump's leadership, the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields," Rubio stated on X.
A senior Trump administration official told Axios the visa crackdown applies to all students from China. "Everything is connected," the official said, noting the move coincides with ongoing U.S.-China trade negotiations.
The State Department will also tighten visa application criteria for all future applicants from China and Hong Kong. A department official said the steps are meant to "protect Americans and rebalance" the relationship with Beijing. "China exploited our visa system for decades to advance the priorities of the Communist Party," the official stated.
The administration's shift follows a report from the Stanford Review detailing espionage allegations tied to China's Ministry of State Security. The report described an incident involving a man posing as a Stanford student who reportedly targeted women on campus to gather intelligence for Beijing.
"How can we keep offering 300,000 student visas to Chinese nationals every year when we KNOW they are legally required to gather intelligence for the CCP?" Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., posted on X. "We need to pass my STOP CCP Visas Act to protect our national security."
Rubio also announced new visa restrictions targeting foreign officials who censor Americans. "Free speech is essential to the American way of life-a birthright over which foreign governments have no authority," he posted Wednesday.
The visa revocation campaign builds on Rubio's history of targeting Chinese influence. In 2018, as a U.S. senator, he led efforts to ban China-funded Confucius Institutes in Florida universities and supported legislation to ban TikTok due to its ties to Beijing.
Earlier this month, Rubio directed a temporary freeze on student visa interviews and unveiled a proposed AI-powered "Catch and Revoke" system to cancel visas of foreign nationals supporting terrorist organizations.
