Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday via X that the United States will begin revoking the visas of Chinese students, specifically targeting those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or enrolled in academic fields deemed critical.
“The U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,” Rubio posted, signaling a significant tightening of visa policies towards students from China.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Department of State said, “Under President 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. We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong.”
This is a developing story.
This new directive follows a contentious House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing last week where Secretary Rubio defended his department’s actions in revoking student visas. During the Wednesday session, Rubio and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) clashed over the administration’s policy of canceling visas for non-citizens allegedly involved in disruptive campus protests and expressing pro-Hamas sentiments.
Rubio stated he “proudly” revoked visas from those who “stir up problems,” emphasizing his view that a student visa is a “privilege, not a right.”
The confrontation escalated when Rep. Jayapal accused Secretary Rubio of violating the First Amendment rights of students by targeting them based on their speech and participation in campus encampments. “Where in the Constitution does it say that the Secretary of State can override the First Amendment protections of free speech?” Jayapal demanded. “Is there a footnote that I missed somewhere?”
Rubio countered by asserting his authority, stating, “There is no constitutional right to a student visa. A student visa is a privilege… There’s a statute which says the Secretary of State gets to determine whether someone is a threat.” He added, “We deny visas everyday all over the world and we’ll continue [to do so],” maintaining that visas can be stripped from individuals intending to “tear [the U.S.] apart.”
The case of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national and Tufts University student, was highlighted during the hearing. Jayapal suggested Ozturk’s visa was revoked due to an op-ed she penned expressing support for Palestine. Rubio denied the op-ed was the sole reason, classifying Ozturk as a “guest” without an inherent right to study in the U.S. “If someone’s coming here to stir up problems on our campus, we’re gonna [revoke] their visa. They’re guests,” Rubio asserted. “Yes, proudly, and we’ll do more… I’m looking to get crazy people out of our country.”
Reports indicate that at the time of Ozturk’s arrest, Rubio had informed reporters that individuals involved in “vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings [and] creating a ruckus” would not be allowed to remain in the U.S.
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During the hearing, Jayapal also attempted to draw a parallel between pro-Palestine students facing visa revocations and South African refugees. Rubio dismissed this comparison, clarifying that refugees are admitted through a distinct process and do not hold student visas. He had previously addressed Jayapal’s query about an Afrikaner refugee allegedly making antisemitic remarks by stating that refugee admissions are separate from visa adjudications, while reiterating his stance on revoking the visas of “any lunatics.”
This recent exchange and policy announcement are consistent with earlier statements from the Secretary. On March 28, 2025, Rubio announced the administration was revoking visas of “lunatics” involved in prolonged campus encampments, which he stated had led to Jewish students feeling unsafe. At that time, he confirmed over 300 visas had already been revoked. A prominent case has been that of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student whose visa was revoked following his participation in anti-Israel encampments, a decision that drew criticism from anti-Trump activists and some media outlets.
The new focus on Chinese students with CCP ties or in critical fields marks an expansion of the State Department’s more stringent approach to student visas under Secretary Rubio’s leadership.
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