Overview
- Trump defended the expansion in a Fox News interview, saying he backs bringing in hundreds of thousands of foreign students and declaring, "I know what MAGA wants better than anybody else."
- The proposal targets roughly 600,000 visas for Chinese students annually within two years, up from about 300,000 currently.
- He argued that slashing foreign enrollment would damage higher education finances and could push many institutions to the brink, specifically citing HBCUs.
- Republican critics including Ron DeSantis and Marjorie Taylor Greene warned of national-security risks and lost opportunities for U.S. students, reflecting fractures on the right.
- Supporters such as Cato Institute researchers estimated a direct financial gain of $32.1 billion, while detractors cited espionage concerns and pointed to the administration’s recent visa crackdowns and tighter vetting.