CalMatters
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By Adam Echelman, CalMatters
The Trump administration’s latest vow to “aggressively revoke” Chinese student visas could affect as many 50,000 students in California, a population larger than Palm Springs.
Sending those students home would have far-ranging financial impacts. Foreign students not only pay higher tuition than in-state students, but they also feed local economies with the dollars they spend with local businesses. There are intangibles as well: Many of these international students have remained in the US after graduation, with some becoming famous scientists or business leaders.
In announcing the new policy Wednesday, the State Department said it was “putting America first, not China.” The policy comes amid a tense trade war between the two countries. In its statement, the State Department did not specify when it would begin revoking visas or who, specifically, would be targeted, except that it would include “those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.”
California faces a $12 billion deficit in the coming fiscal year, and the University of California and the California State University system could face 3% cuts to their budgets as a result.
The loss of so many international students could make these fiscal problems worse. The UC is “concerned” about the State Department’s decision, said Stett Holbrook, a spokesperson for the UC president’s office. “Chinese students, as well as all our international students, scholars, faculty and staff, are vital members of our university community and contribute greatly to our research, teaching, patient care and public service mission.”
At UC Davis, more than 3,600 students, or just over 9% of the student body, came from China — the highest of any UC campus — according to the UC system’s Fall 2024 enrollment data. University of Southern California, a private university, had almost twice as many students from China this year. The Cal States and California’s community college system also enroll hundreds and possibly thousands of students from China.
San Jose State has the largest population of international students of any Cal State campus, according to a State Department-funded survey through the Institute of International Education. “This spring alone, we are proud to have approximately 4,000 international students from 88 countries enriching our campus, hundreds of them graduating last week,” said campus spokesperson Michelle Smith McDonald. “Ongoing national events,” such as the State Department’s recent statement, “are raising questions and concerns” for those students.
For one sophomore at UC Santa Barbara, the announcement could create a “huge interruption” in her life, she said.
The student agreed to be interviewed on the condition that she only be identified by her nickname, Huhu, because she fears her visa could be targeted. She said she just signed a lease, which expires June 2026. Like many Chinese students in the US, Huhu didn’t take the Chinese national university entrance exam and instead took the SAT and AP exams in order to study in the US. She said she couldn’t enroll at a Chinese university now, even if she tried.
“We’re also scared about discrimination,” she said. “If we’re in a state where our visa could be canceled at any time, it’s an action that encourages people to discriminate against the international student community.”
In the last few months, President Donald Trump’s administration has revoked visas for thousands of international students across the US, especially those who have participated in campus protests or have disciplinary issues on their records, including speeding tickets or other minor infractions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also asked US embassies to stop scheduling all new visa interviews for international students, Politico reported.
The administration recently restored some international students’ visa status following orders from federal judges. Court orders have also blocked another effort by the Trump administration to prevent Harvard University from enrolling international students.
But California students are worried these court orders may not last long. On Tuesday, the student government at UCLA issued a resolution calling on the school to provide “clear guidance” about its action plan in the event that Trump targets its international students.
Keya Tanna, a junior from Dubai, was part of the committee that issued that resolution. On Tuesday, she became the international student representative for UCLA’s student government. It’s been a whirlwind, she said. “There’s a deep concern and a sense of fear amongst everyone.”
The master of projection Bends his Knees again.
Racists and bigots deserve to not be ignored.
Many more of CA students will be able to utilize CA colleges as opposed to having to pay more to “out of state” universities. I can attest first hand that my daughter did not get accepted to any CA colleges for an Eng major despite being at the top of her class in the DPEA program, class VP, multi-sport athlete and a 4.7GPA. I’ve been paying CA taxes since I started working at 15 years old, just not right!
OOPS – Those are impressive achievements, congrats to your daughter! I don’t think that’s true about her not getting into “any CA colleges,” though. Just because she didn’t get into the most elite UCs, there are still plenty of great UCs and CSUs as well as private colleges in CA. She applied to them all? Keep in mind, Cal Poly SLO rejected over 32,000 applicants this year, all of who had over a 4.0 GPA. There’s a LOT of competition.
Banning Chinese students though is not the answer. Aside from being outright racist, we will lose out on the bright minds from China and other countries. Sure, I could see lowering the number of international students accepted to each school and increasing the admission of local and QUALIFIED students, but a full out ban is not ok for so many reasons.
Again, your daughter has a bright future with that level of hard work. Let’s hope that level of education and intelligence it keeps her from following her parent’s footsteps into bigotry and hate!
That wasn’t nice or true. My comment had nothing to do with bigotry & hate and for you to gaslight me is unacceptable
That’s not gaslighting, OOPS. I’m sorry, but your frequent comments here constantly reflect a bigoted outlook on life. I mean heck, just look at your one about equity less than an hour ago.
Again, I’m very happy for your daughter and her achievements and I hope she doesn’t grow up to be bigoted as well.
Not mean, just facts based on objective evidence. That’s on you, not me.
Sac-It is apparent that you are becoming increasingly unhinged and your accusing oops of bigotry and hate for merely expressing his frustration from his highly qualified daughter not being accepted to her colleges of choice should have you banned from this site.
GAR – see my comment to OOPS.
Funny how people, usually bigots, want me banned for calling a duck a duck, but those who spew vile hate, racism and worse here never get the same admonitions.
Why, Gar? Why do you sit silent when others say truly cruel and bigoted things?
Can you answer that?
Calm down, nanny.
@oops, it sounds like your daughter didn’t get into the colleges she wanted, not all California colleges. That’s a big difference. If your daughter achieved all of those things then she qualified for the ELC program or the Statewide Guarantee, which would guarantee her a spot at a UC school. So again, sounds like this more complaining about preference.
Why should she be denied her choice given her qualifications while CA admits so may Intl & Out of State students and the fact I have been & will be a CA taxpayer for life?
if you are suggesting she should settle for UC Santa Cruz Or Channel Islands while we admit Intl students & Out of State to Cal Poly, Berkeley, UCLA or UC San Diego – I just disagree, has nothing to do with hatred & bigotry asserted by Sacjon who is quick to label others that disagree with him!
She was denied her choice because there were more qualified candidates for that specific school. It’s very competitive and this is a great life lesson that you don’t always get everything you want. And now you’re backtracking and saying she didn’t get into specific schools instead of your rant earlier about “all CA schools.” If you’re going to make an argument, be consistent.
Side note: Foreign students are more educated than American students so they’re more qualified, but even then there is a cap on how many can be admitted. And they pay a lot more than CA students so because of them, it discounts the in-state tuition. Although I think higher education should be free for all in-state kids
It’s funny watching the bootstrappers complain about how life is sometimes unfair and not everyone gets a trophy.
I will argue that there weren’t “more qualified candidates”. It’s a numbers game. There were thousands of EQUALLY qualified students. It’s very much a crapshoot as to who will get in. It’s not at all personal. You can assume that if there are 1000 spots for incoming English majors at a school (a totally made-up number), there are 10,000 qualified students.
UCSD had 118,410 applicants.
OOPS – if those international students are more qualified, then why shouldn’t they get spots?
You have to remember, American students pale in comparison with those in other countries. Universities want the best and the brightest. That’s not always going to be ONLY Californians.
I never said her rejection has anything to do with hatred or bigotry. Do none of you Cons know how to read sentences? I just wished her the best of luck in escaping the bigoted parent she clearly has and had to grow up with. I hope the best for her!
This what you said, you’re parting line – ” Let’s hope that level of education and intelligence it keeps her from following her parent’s footsteps into bigotry and hate!”
You don’t know me or my wife. You & I definitely do not agree on most, but it is unacceptable for you to label & slander folks that differ with you.
Yes, that is what I said and it has nothing to do with her getting into a school other than her top choice. Maybe have her read it to?
And no, guy, it’s not “slander,” nor is it just because I disagree with you. It’s an opinion based on the constant bigoted things you say here.
Hey look, words have meanings. You Cons need to own them and stop crying “slander” when someone calls you out for the racist/homophobic things you say here. Man up, buttercup.
Sorry, meant “Maybe have her read it to you and explain it?”
I don’t always agree with the bickering and finger pointing from some commenters, but… oops, you do have a habit of posting some pretty bigoted statements on this site.
Granted, OOPS is not one of the more prolific and blatant offenders, but based on his comments here over the years, especially with the one today calling equity training “crap,” my comment remains.
The way out of the circle of ignorance and bigotry is through education and I truly hope his daughter is able to break that cycle.
If you support racist, sexist and homophobic policies, then you are a racist, a sexist and a homophobe. It’s not complicated.
Also UCSC is a great school. Go banana slugs!
You literally just named the 4 hardest schools to get into. For the record, my kid with a 4.75 got wait-listed (accepted in late May), rejected, rejected, and accepted as undeclared to those 4 schools. It’s THAT competitive. It means these schools have many many times the number of qualified students to spots. There are thousands of students with your daughter’s exact stats.
For real, your daughter would be JUST FINE as Santa Cruz or Davis or a Cal State. Or even better, SBCC then transfer (this gets overlooked as a way into UCLA and Berkeley!)
I think that a lot of parents just aren’t up to speed with how competitive college applications are these days, compared to 30-40 years ago. It’s just not the same. Not even close.
This is not EXACTLY true – the fact of the matter is – out of state students and international students subsidize in-state students. Losing these big payers does not necessarily make room for local students.
Also, when you say your daughter did not get into any CA colleges, what do you mean? And, what year? (Because the last 2 years have been hard – and this year in particular, pretty brutal.) A lot of people say their kid with those stats “didn’t get in”, but they didn’t apply to UCR, Merced, UCSC, Cal States. What they mean is “didn’t get into Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD or Irvine”. Which isn’t ALL Cal schools.
Am reminded of the Bakke case with this comment.
Allan Bakke was rejected by a dozen medical schools, but he took only one of them to court: the one that had racial quotas.
The Chinese are such friends of ours.
Just like the Russians, right rubes?
RUBY – so what? We deny all Chinese students the right to study here? That’s just racist. I think maybe you people don’t understand that just because some people from a group act a certain way, not ALL of them act the same. The constant generalizing of an entire race is…. yes, you guessed…. RACIST.
Anyway, I hate to break it to you, but NO ONE is a friend of the US anymore thanks to the Orange Fatsack ru(i)nning our country.
I have many Chinese friends, in fact
The headline for this article clearly states that this policy COULD hurt California. The only arguments against this policy have to do with the almighty dollar. Cali certainly is in a heap of financial trouble with no end in sight. Our pols prioritize those “projects” and programs that benefit their donors FIRST, and in last place are the citizens of this once-great state. Imagine a time when people looked up to the State of California. If there’s anything bright that potentially might help us out is that we will have a new governor in Sacramento. Hopefully, that governor has some sense of urgency and a path to stopping the madness. Let’s just hope that the pols will see that it’s best to educate Cali/US residents first, and if there is a seat or two left over, then pass it on to students from a country that appreciates and supports the USA.
Residents of Cali are most likely Colombian citizens.
More advice from Bends Knees to keep your head firmly buried in the sand, as his is.
BeesOnKnees – I’m guessing you’re not from CA. Nobody here calls it Cali, not even when a native is in another state talking about it. Sac said it best I think and no doubt you’ll croak before you get it. “Anyway, I hate to break it to you, but NO ONE is a friend of the US anymore thanks to the Orange Fatsack ru(i)nning our country.”
Okay, now in English.
No wonder Davis is tough to get into! Dang.
American citizens should always have priority over international students period. If competition to UC schools is so competitive- which it certainly is-top American kids should always be admitted before foreigners. CCP affiliated kids should absolutely never be allowed to access our schools at any level. Is this not obvious?
HAMMONDS – No, it’s not obvious why only Chinese students should be completely banned from all US schools from Kindergarten to Grad School.
Why don’t you tell us why widespread, systemic racism should be allowed?
I bet you think you’re “not a racist” because you can speak Spanish or something…..
Well, even though racism is totally a foundational tenet of the red-hats, all of the orangutan’s targeted tantrums are actually retaliatory punishments. TACO.
I’m going to reply to my own comment. The fact that the word “retaliatory” or “punishment” or “targeted” (or orange-a-tan hahahaha) is in the original article or any other comment here speaks volumes on what’s in the minds of authors and the readers (that care to argue with each other). The folks that don’t realize that higher education in CA is in part subsidized for our ‘locals’ by out-of-state and foreign enrollments don’t have a clue how the system actually is funded. Remove those elements and you get one of 2 options – reduce administration population and/or compensation (probably great under any circumstance), education professionals (professors and all below), and infrastructure OR increase costs (not just tuition) to students. I suppose you could increase state/federal funding but that means more taxes for everyone. So that’s 3 options – ok… we can probably think of may other options too. The point here is finances are always a delicate balance between income and expenditures. I always say, “it matters not how much you make as to how much you spend”. The other folks that expect that they “deserve” anything “because” of anything else are delusional or have been recipients of some form of DEI for long enough that they deserve whatever they believe they do. They don’t. And DEI isn’t a bad thing by it’s very nature.
ugh… correction – …isn’t in the original article… (probably others too but I care not now)
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
After all tax payers kids are allowed access, then should out of state or out of country be accepted. Problem is, and this from a friend who is a UC Regent, foreign students pay more so the UC system likes the revenue.
You’re forgetting that the UC system has a policy that caps the number of non-resident students, which includes international students, at 18% of the undergraduate student body across most campuses.
SBSURFER – they don’t care. They don’t care that the higher costs that international students pay also helps keep their kids’ costs lower. Basically, the international students subsidize American students.
Nah, they don’t care about that at all. They just want racism to be institutionalized again so America can be “great.”
Another funny thing is how they shriek about “socialism,” and then complain about capitalism. This is what happens.
Paying taxes doesn’t entitle you to a spot in elite colleges.
$$$$
Folks are saying that number is too high. Simple as that.
What folks are these? The fascist bootlickers in the White House hierarchy?
We’d be better off getting rid of them.
They need the revenue. Unless you are interested in our taxes going up to make up the difference.
Like I said, follow the dollars. How about this mm? These are public institutions. Not private schools.
And this lovely quote…
“the international students subsidize American students”. Wow, there’s a lefty campaign slogan if I’ve ever seen one! lol. Run that one next election and see how it plays out in our country Sack. Lead balloon.
🎈
Let’s do this very simply for you:
Question: Are you willing to pay more in taxes or increase local student’s tuition BY A LOT to make up for the loss of international students’ contributions?
Yes or no?
Let’s make this simple for you. Do you agree that our public universities have a primary responsibility to educate our citizens?
They can trim their fat budgets as well. And yes, after they prioritize U.S. students AND work on their budgets, if they want to make a case for needing more taxpayer money we should consider it. Nine of that is happening now though, so don’t sweat it.
BASIC – “Let’s make this simple for you. Do you agree that our public universities have a primary responsibility to educate our citizens? ”
Coward. Why won’t you answer my question? You always run away from actual debate. Man up, kid.
To answer yours though (because I don’t run): No, and you’ve already shown you don’t understand the UC mission, as one example of the purpose of our higher education. Here it is again:
“UC’s Mission
“The distinctive mission of the University is to SERVE SOCIETY as a center of higher learning, providing long-term societal benefits through transmitting advanced knowledge, discovering new knowledge, and functioning as an active working repository of organized knowledge. That obligation, more specifically, includes undergraduate education, graduate and professional education, research, and other kinds of public service, which are shaped and bounded by the central pervasive mission of discovering and advancing knowledge.”
Mission statement from the University of California Academic Plan, 1974-1978″
You assume that the international students our colleges educate do not contribute to our society. As a “doctor,” especially, you should know that’s wrong. Look at all the nationalities of our top surgeons, scientists, engineers, etc. Many stay here after receiving their education.
You need to get over your unwarranted belief that higher education is only for American citizens. It’s not. They owe you nothing.
Coward? I answered your question. I laid it out. Get a grip man. No one’s talking about banning all international students. Your anger blinds you.
“Run away”, “coward”, “man up”….just a Sac full of garbage rants.
BASIC – “I answered your question”
No the heck you did not. You “answered” with a different and irrelevant question.
Come on and man up like you like to say. Take a stand. Stop running away from questions.
BASIC – “No one’s talking about banning all international students.”
My effing God man. Harvard?
And even with just Chinese students being banned, who is going to pay the difference? Americans and their kids, that’s who.
I have already followed the dollars. Have you? Here’s the link again:
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4998
The majority of funding for these public institutions do not, in fact, come from taxpayer dollars.
yeah lets let a hundred thousand Chinese students into the finest Universities in America each year so they can take this knowledge, education ( and sometimes secrets) back to their motherland so they can help devise a way to destroy America.
What could possibly go wrong?
I don’t disagree from a national security standpoint. However, the vast majority of these students from China are not spies. And they often stay here, start companies here and/or help to innovate American companies while pumping in tons of money into our economy. So expelling them will just give China more power than it already has. This administration is pushing all foreign talent back towards China so they can now dominate sectors of industry and innovation that America once had.
I suppose from a national security standpoint, students from any adversary country (that list has grown exponentially in the last 4 months) would be suspect. Of course it is a concern, but that’s why we have the CIA and other intelligence agencies (well, we used to) to address individual concerns.
How many Chinese students have been actually convicted of espionage? Not many, if at all.
You’re missing the point completely here.
How so?
It’s not about espionage. It’s about prioritizing American students’ education over that of foreign students. In the long run our country improves with a better educated population.
That’s how.
No, BASIC, your pal JIMBO there was ONLY talking about espionage.
My goodness. You just can’t ever get anything right, can you?
Read words.
It’s quite evident that we don’t need anyone else to destroy America. The only way it could ever be destroyed is from within. It’s happening right now and before your own eyes. But why can’t you see it? That’s a rhetorical Q, it’s obvious to the normies that are not members of a cult.
BIMBO – “so they can take this knowledge, education ( and sometimes secrets) back to their motherland”
LOL yeah…. and we wonder why we need to import intelligent minds into our country, honey.
Y’all cry about DEI being “racist” but as long as the racism is against non-white people, you’re totally OK with it.
Lowest of the low.
Sure, let’s let UC’s and other state schools continue pander to the international highest bidders driving BMW’s and Porches who keep taking spots away from our California (Cali!) students year after year, despite the fact that California and all other American taxpayers fund these educational institutions. Follow the dollars. Jeez, I wonder why Trump is cracking down on this backwards, money-driven education system? Rope it in.
BASIC – why do you keep ignoring the fact that international students pay A LOT more than local students and that helps keep our local costs down? Sure, a portion of our taxes go to these schools, but a lot more comes from the tuition and fees paid by foreign students.
How is Trump bringing the cost of college down? Banning foreign students will cost locals MUCH MORE.
BI guy –
How do you drive a Porch? Even making one street legal would be a daunting prospect.
And what do the BMWs possess?
You need an education on the English language, but you’re right about one thing – the system should not be driven by money. It should be free for all citizens.
Follow the dollars – maybe you should follow the dollars. The majority of UC funding does not come from taxpayers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4998
The whole situation in California is about to change even more for the worse. Governor Newsom needs to do something like now/now to avoid losing all of the Federal money that is in the process of being canceled. If he has any aspirations of becoming SCOTUS, now is the time he can prove it to the entire country. This was in the news today and it is not good::
“CNN – The Trump administration is preparing to cancel a large swath of federal funding for California, an effort which could begin as soon as Friday, according to multiple sources. Agencies are being told to start identifying grants the administration can withhold from California. On Capitol Hill, at least one committee was told recently by a whistleblower that all research grants to the state were going to be cancelled, according to one of the sources familiar with the matter.”
Fed money for the high-speed rail is also about to dry up.
I don’t think Newsom has any ambitions toward SCOTUS. That’s not even an elected position.
Exactly. He will never be elected to another office, so the only way he can provide hope and change is by being appointed. His POTUS path is done/gone/Nowheresville/history/zut.
Why does Newsom, the next Chief Justice in your mind 🤣🤣🤣, need to do something? Why do you assume he is in the wrong and not the Orange Chicken (thank you, Elon for that one) who is demanding fealty in exchange for federal dollars? Fatty Chicken Patty will be sorry when CA stops funding his precious red states.
I think the red states are very appreciative of all the money that California provides. Going forward though, it appears that even California cannot afford to fund California. When the Fed dollars dry up, it’s really going to be a mess in this state. Lots of great plans this state had, but many are going into the dust bin.
BeeBob, “Lots of great plans this state had, but many are going into the dust bin.”?? As are the red states(into dust bin). CA will hurt. Red states are gonna just try and survive, and they won’t know how bad it’ll really feel for about 2-4 years and by then we’ll be Russians or Qataris (maybe Saudis). They (red-hats) will get that message 2 – 4 years after they are told there are new owners in the house. They they’ll say their new flag is word.
preliminari: I don’t disagree that within a few years, red states will be hurting more so than the blue states. Not so sure that we’ll be Russian, Qatari, or Saudi in the future, but I suppose anything can happen. Until that happens though, dollars from California will continue to flow into and support the red states. The people in those red states are unappreciative and could care less they are being supported by the people of California. Go figure.
I sure as hell hope they can that high speed rail project to to nowhere. Let’s cut our losses, and spend the money elsewhere. That’s a financial disaster with Newsom’s name all over it.