How the Trump administration’s vow to revoke Chinese student visas could hurt California

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.”

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.