Just now, Trump successfully held talks with the Chinese side, reached a good agreement, and also stated: welcomes Chinese students to study in the U.S.
Source: globaltimes
International students in the U.S. after seeing this news said: they feel nothing, and even find it a bit amusing.
After all, for months, the Trump administration has been making things difficult for international students at every turn. The flip-flopping policies have not only numbed international students in the U.S., but also caused those intending to study there to begin to feel disenchanted.
Trump Is Busy, and International Students Always Get Hurt
Just yesterday alone, the Trump administration was sharpening its knives and launching consecutive major moves. It not only issued a travel ban on 12 countries (mainly African and Middle Eastern nations) but also signed another order prohibiting visas for foreign students about to attend Harvard University.
The Harvard-Trump Battle Continues
Yesterday, Trump announced this new visa restriction on Harvard University, effective for 6 months, on the grounds that Harvard had failed to fully cooperate with the federal government in obtaining security information related to foreign students.
Source: whitehouse
Over 10,000 international students and scholars study at Harvard, and most of the admitted new students for the upcoming fall semester have not yet traveled to campus.
In response to the announcement, Harvard quickly hit back, calling the ban on entry of university affiliates illegal, and issued a statement on its official website saying: "This is yet another illegal retaliation by the federal government, and Harvard University will continue to protect its international students."
Source: harvard
Harvard also stated that the court decision on May 29 allows Harvard to continue admitting international students and scholars during the legal proceedings.
This is the nth escalation of conflicts between Harvard and the Trump administration. In this "series of legal battles," Harvard international students have been watching from their studies to last week's graduation, and still haven't seen the final episode.
Revoking Student Visas, Suspending Interviews: Fire First, Details Later
On May 28, the U.S. Department of State issued a statement saying it would work with the Department of Homeland Security to revoke visas of some Chinese students, targeting those with ties to organizations or academic backgrounds in "critical fields."
Source: state.gov
Details on which majors are involved and how it will be implemented remain completely unclear. The goal is merely to show the MAGA bravado of "Put America First, Not China."
On May 27, the Trump administration directed U.S. embassies and consulates to suspend scheduling student visa interviews and to consider requiring social media screening for all applicants.
Again, details such as how long the suspension will last and how the checks will be conducted remain vague; the point is to act first and show Trump that they are doing their job today.
Nowadays, studying in the U.S. is a test of mentality. International students who have experienced the storm of "SEVIS status termination and reinstatement" say: "These are nothing; there is no hurdle we can't overcome, and even the president might personally 'fix' things for us in a few days."
Just last Friday, he told reporters that he wanted to assure Chinese students in the U.S. that they would be fine amid the government's crackdown on academia.
Source: DawnNews
Chinese students be like:
Trump 2.0: Where Exactly Does the Problem Lie?
In fact, the Trump administration's intensification of immigration enforcement and continued pressure on international students is nothing new.
The biggest problem of the Trump 2.0 era might lie in the assertive leaders of various departments, who are even more eager to be in the spotlight than the president.
Vice President Vance, former DOGE advisor Musk, Secretary of State Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Noem—who among them isn't "a new broom sweeps clean"? International students say: "I have never known a U.S. administration so well."
They all strive to perform in front of the president, acting only to show loyalty without considering the consequences, preferring to harm a thousand innocents rather than let one slip by, and then simply roll things back with a click if things get out of hand.
As a result, federal judges are forced to work overtime, government departments are in chaos, and ordinary citizens suffer innocently. The Trump 2.0 administration has proven through its actions that it deserves the title of "lowest approval rating in decades within the first hundred days."
These days, the new term "TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out)" has gone viral across the U.S., mocking Trump's frequent habit of talking tough on tariffs but ultimately backing down.
Source: foxnews
Seeing that Trump today again emphasized his welcoming attitude toward Chinese students, we also hope he will "chicken out" more on matters concerning international students and stop harming the innocent.
For international students, the external situation changes daily, and global policies are unclear. Whether to go or stay also requires careful self-examination and weighing of pros and cons. Whether studying in the U.S. is still worthwhile is already a clichéd topic; applying to multiple countries and regions is no longer a novel strategy.
Face challenges, seize opportunities, and may we all get through this difficult phase, weather the storm, and see the rainbow at the next stop.
