Targeting foreign students, Trump hits a US lifeline
Now back at the White House, Trump's message has changed drastically.
Hoping to crush an academic establishment he sees as his enemy, Trump has launched unprecedented actions against international students that experts warn are likely to decrease enrollment and could trigger a brain drain of top talent.
In a matter of days, the Trump administration has sought to bar all foreign students from Harvard University, one of most prestigious US institutions, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to "aggressively" revoke visas to students from China, long the top source of students to the United States although recently eclipsed by India.
Rubio has already yanked thousands of visas, largely over students' involvement in activism critical of Israel's offensive in Gaza but also over minor traffic violations and other infractions.
"The US, historically, has a reputation around the world of having a very open atmosphere for scientific and technical research, and that draws a lot of people, especially people from countries that don't necessarily have that kind of openness," said Phoebe Sengers, a professor in information science and science and technology studies at Cornell University.
She said it's certain the number of international students will "plummet in the coming years."
"The challenge with that is that students who would come here don't just disappear. They will stay in their home countries or go to other countries where they can get a technical education, and they're going to be building businesses in those countries and competing directly with our firms," she said.
Universities as 'enemy'
US universities have long been reputed to be among the world's best, and among the most expensive to attend.
International students who pay full tuition are vital sources of revenue, as are federal research grants, which the Trump administration is also slashing.
The State Department has justified its crackdown by pointing to "theft" of US technology by China, and Trump has spoken of making more spots for US-born students.
But Trump's inner circle has long made clear its intentions to battle universities -- whose often left-leaning faculties, high costs and selectivity make them perfect foils for a presidency centered on countering elites and foreigners.
Vice President JD Vance stated in no uncertain terms his hope to destroy the power of academe in a 2021 speech entitled, "The universities are the enemy."
Yet Vance himself rose from poverty to power through Yale Law School, one of the country's most elite institutions.
Universities have an outsized influence on the economy, with international students directly contributing $50 billion to the US economy in 2023, according to the US Commerce Department.
Many top US entrepreneurs are immigrants who came as students, including Trump's ally Elon Musk, with around half of the Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants or their children.
Krishna Bista, a professor at Morgan State University who studies international student mobility, said the tone set by the Trump administration "could deter even the most qualified applicants" from the United States.
"It's not just a visa issue -- it affects students' sense of safety, belonging and academic freedom," he said.
"Other nations are building policies to recruit talent -- it's irrational for the US to push it away."
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology recently offered fast-track admissions to Harvard students whom Trump wants to force to transfer.
Growing competition
The United States across administrations has wooed international students, although the number also declined following the September 11, 2001 attacks due to greater curbs of all visas.
A world-record 1.1 million international students studied in the United States in the 2023-24 academic year, according to a State Department-backed report of the Institute of International Education.
But international students on average make up just under six percent of the US university population -- far below Britain, the second top destination for international students, where the figure is 25 percent.
The opportunity to change course may have already slipped away.
"Even if everything was turned around tomorrow, our reputation as an open and welcoming society has already taken significant damage," Sengers said.
© 2025 AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Airlines less optimistic for 2025, facing 'headwinds': IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates fewer than five billion air journeys will take place this year, compared with the previously forecast 5.22 billion. "The first half of 2025 has brought significant uncertainties to global markets," IATA's Director General Willie Walsh told its annual general meeting in New Delhi. But he added: "Considering the headwinds, it's a strong result that demonstrates the resilience that airlines have worked hard to fortify." Cumulative airline profits will reach $36 billion this year, $600 million less than expected, IATA said. Commercial aviation revenues are expected to remain below the $1 trillion forecast in the previous December projections, with IATA now reporting $979 billion. Walsh, addressing IATA delegates, called for the aviation sector to be spared from increased tariffs -- though he did not name US President Donald Trump, who unveiled sweeping duties on trading partners in April. 'Trade tensions' While looking at profits, Walsh warned that "perspective is critical" to put industry-wide figures into context, saying that per passenger, it was still a narrow margin. "It's still a thin buffer and any new tax, increase in airport or navigation charge, demand shock or costly regulation will quickly put the industry's resilience to the test," he said. "Policymakers who rely on airlines as the core of a value chain that employs 86.5 million people and supports 3.9 percent of global economic activity must keep this clearly in focus." The organisation also expects 69 million tonnes of cargo to be transported by air this year, down from the 72.5 million previously expected. A barrel of Brent North Sea crude, the international benchmark, stands below $65 as a result of Trump's tariffs, his call to "drill baby drill" and especially a decision by OPEC+ to hike crude output quotas. This represents an immediate boon for airlines. Jet fuel is expected to average $86 a barrel in 2025, well below the $99 average in 2024, "accounting for 25.8 percent of all operating costs", IATA added. The 2025 total fuel bill of $236 billion is $25 billion lower than in 2024. Among the "risks" weighing on commercial aviation, IATA identified conflicts such as the war in Ukraine, as well as "trade tensions". "Tariffs and prolonged trade wars dampen demand for air cargo and potentially travel," IATA said. "Additionally, the uncertainty over how the Trump administration's trade policies will evolve could hold back critical business decisions that drive economic activity, and with it the demand for air cargo and business travel." © 2025 AFP
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
ECB expected to cut rates again as Trump trade war rumbles on
Even before Trump unleashed his on-off tariff onslaught on the world, the ECB had been bringing borrowing costs down as inflation eased. Worries about sluggish performance in the 20 countries that use the euro have increasingly overshadowed inflation concerns as higher rates have pinched businesses and households. Trump's tariffs have added to the sense of urgency. Europe is in the president's crosshairs over its hefty surplus in traded goods with United States, stoking fears about a heavy hit to the continent's exporters. Predicting a cut when the ECB's governing council meets Thursday, HSBC said the eurozone's "near-term outlook has deteriorated on the recent US tariffs announcements and related uncertainty". Analysts expect another quarter-point reduction that would take the Frankfurt-based institution's key deposit rate to two percent. But observers believe the June cut could be the final one in the current streak, with the ECB likely to pause at its next meeting in July to take stock of the latest economic developments. The ECB's series of cuts stands in contrast to the US Federal Reserve, which has kept rates on hold recently amid fears that Trump's levies could stoke inflation. Global order 'fracturing' Trump has already hit the EU with multiple waves of tariffs -- it currently faces a 10-percent "baseline" levy as well as 25-percent duties on cars, steel and aluminium. He has paused even higher rates on the EU and other trading partners to allow for talks, momentarily easing some of the tensions that had roiled global markets. But in a sign the trade war may be far from over, he threatened last month to swiftly impose a 50-percent tariff on the EU -- only to delay the move a few days later to July 9. Highlighting the alarm felt in Europe, ECB President Christine Lagarde said last week that the global economic order backed by US leadership was "fracturing". "Multilateral cooperation is being replaced by zero-sum thinking and bilateral power plays," she said in a speech in Berlin. But the ECB faces a tricky task in protecting the eurozone from the mercurial US president's trade policies while keeping inflation stable. Euro-area inflation was 2.2 percent in April, slightly above the ECB's two-percent target and higher than expected. May's inflation estimate will be published by Eurostat on Tuesday ahead of the ECB meeting. But most recent signs suggest price pressures are easing faster than previously thought, and the ECB is expected to cut its inflation predictions when it releases its own new economic forecasts Thursday. Downward pressure Most analysts expect Trump's tariffs to add to downward pressure on eurozone inflation, particularly as it might lead China -- facing the highest US levies -- to redirect inexpensive manufactured goods to Europe. The ECB is expected to cut its growth estimates Thursday due to the impact of the trade war, after the EU slashed its forecasts last month. While investors will be on the lookout for any clues from Lagarde about the ECB's next move, analysts warn that heightened uncertainty means she will give little away. The meeting will likely also produce questions over the future next moves for Lagarde. The former head of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab told The Financial Times last week that he had spoken with Lagarde about her taking over as head of the organisation. The ECB brushed away the rumours, saying Lagarde was "determined" to see out her term at the helm of the central bank.
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
China 'firmly rejects' US claims of violating sweeping tariffs deal
China said Monday it "firmly rejects" US claims that it had violated a sweeping tariffs deal, as tensions between the two economic superpowers showed signs of ratcheting back up. Beijing and Washington last month agreed to slash staggeringly high tariffs on each other for 90 days after talks between top officials in Geneva. But top Washington officials last week accused China of violating the deal, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying Beijing was "slow-rolling" the agreement in comments to "Fox News Sunday". China hit back Monday, saying Washington "has made bogus charges and unreasonably accused China of violating the consensus, which is seriously contrary to the facts". "China firmly rejects these unreasonable accusations," its commerce ministry said in a statement. US President Donald Trump said last week that China had "totally violated" the deal, without providing details. 03:04 Beijing's commerce ministry said it "has been firm in safeguarding its rights and interests, and sincere in implementing the consensus". It fired back that Washington "has successively introduced a number of discriminatory restrictive measures against China" since the Geneva talks. The ministry cited export controls on artificial intelligence chips, curbs on the sale of chip design software and the revocation of Chinese student visas in the United States. "We urge the US to meet China halfway, immediately correct its wrongful actions, and jointly uphold the consensus from the Geneva trade talks," the ministry said. If not, "China will continue to resolutely take strong measures to uphold its legitimate rights and interests," it added. Trump-Xi talks? US officials have said they are frustrated by what they see as Chinese foot-dragging on approving export licences for rare earths and other elements needed to make cars and chips. But Washington's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent looked to ease the pressure on Sunday, saying the two sides could arrange a call between their respective heads of state to resolve their differences. "I'm confident... this will be ironed out" in a call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Bessent said on CBS's "Face the Nation". He added, however, that China was "withholding some of the products that they agreed to release", including rare earths. On when a Trump-Xi call could take place, Bessent said: "I believe we will see something very soon." China has been less forthcoming, and the commerce ministry's statement on Monday did not mention any planned conversations between the two leaders. The Geneva deal was "an important consensus reached by the two sides on the principle of mutual respect and equality, and its results were hard-won", the ministry said. It warned Washington against "going its own way and continuing to harm China's interests". Global stocks finished mixed on Friday after Trump made his social media post accusing Beijing. The Hong Kong stock exchange was down around 2 percent shortly after opening on Monday.
