UC San Diego impacted by crackdown on student visas
SAN DIEGO (FOX5/KUSI) — The future of many international students is in jeopardy again as the Trump administration halted interviews for student visas and announced it will revoke visas of Chinese nationals.
The latest moves are impacting students at UC San Diego.
'It's just scary to think that if I came to UCSD next year, even if I got in, I wouldn't be able to come just because of the visa,' said Rei Ishikawa, an international student from Japan.
Ishikawa said his interview process was fairly simple and included questions about what he wanted to study and his future career goals.
San Diego international students stripped of visa have records restored
The U.S. State Department temporarily halted those interviews while it works to expand its screening policies to include reviewing social media activity.
'People are scared to speak or post on social media in case they say the wrong thing,' said Ishikawa.
The State Department said it also plans to revise the criteria for future applicants from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong after it announced it will revoke visas for Chinese students. They include those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or who are studying in critical fields.
'I mean, what country is next? Which people are going to be booted next?' Ishikawa questioned.
In a statement about the halt, the University of California says it is very concerned, saying in part: 'It is critical that interviews resume as quickly as possible to ensure that applicants are able to go through the process and receive their visas on time so they can pursue their education.'
In April, the Trump administration revoked dozens of student visas at UC San Diego, but later reinstated some.
'My roommate came home one day and was just distraught because he got this call from the UCSD office that deals with this and he was told that his visa was revoked,' said Ryan Peng, a recent graduate. He added that his roommate's visa was reinstated.
He said he thinks the Trump administration has the right to determine who comes into the country, but he believes there is some ambiguity.
'The process of my roommate getting reinstated also seemed confusing to the lawyers he talked to, so I hope there is some clarity in this situation moving forward,' Peng said.
There is no word yet on when student visa interviews will resume or how many Chinese international students at UC San Diego will be impacted by the Trump administration's latest move.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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