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Representative Anna Paulina Luna has urged the Trump administration to revoke more than 265,000 student visas held by Chinese nationals, arguing in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that alleged Chinese interference in U.S. elections warrants an immediate halt to one of the country’s largest foreign student populations.
The Florida Republican’s request, made in a July 20 letter to Rubio, came days after President Donald Trump cited newly declassified intelligence that alleged Chinese efforts to interfere in American elections. Luna called on the State Department to revoke all active F-1 and J-1 visas held by Chinese nationals and halt the issuance of new student visas pending a review.
“I write today to urge the immediate suspension and cancellation of all F-1 and J-1 student visas held by Chinese nationals currently studying at institutions of higher education across the United States,” Luna wrote in the letter.
The proposal could affect the 265,919 Chinese students studying at U.S. colleges and universities, according to the latest Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. Chinese nationals were the second-largest group of international students in the United States during the 2024-25 academic year, behind only India.
Newsweek has contacted the White House, the State Department, Luna’s office and the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., for comment outside office hours.
What Luna’s Letter Said
In her letter, Luna cited Trump’s address to the nation last week, in which he referenced newly declassified documents alleging that the Chinese government carried out what is believed to have been one of the largest cyber espionage campaigns targeting U.S. election data beginning during the 2020 election cycle.
She said the allegations “demand a serious and immediate response from every agency with the authority to act, including the Department of State.”
Luna argued that U.S. universities remain vulnerable to foreign intelligence operations, adding that the student visa system could serve as “a potential vector for CCP [Chinese Communist Party] influence operations targeting our democratic institutions.”
She wrote that “every single Chinese student visa needs to be cancelled immediately” and urged the State Department to revoke existing visas while conducting a broader review of student screening procedures.
Chinese students remain one of the largest international student populations in the United States, contributing an estimated $14.6 billion to the U.S. economy through tuition and related spending.
It is unclear whether the administration will respond to Luna’s proposal. While Trump administration officials have previously backed increased scrutiny of some Chinese student visas on national security grounds, a blanket revocation affecting all Chinese students would mark a dramatic escalation and could face opposition from universities, business groups and diplomatic partners.
Republicans Crack Down on Chinese Student Visas
Luna is not the first Republican to pursue tougher restrictions on Chinese student visas. Representative Riley Moore’s Stop CCP VISAs Act, which has companion legislation in the Senate, would bar Chinese nationals from obtaining student visas. Promoting the measure on July 20, the congressman from West Virginia wrote on social media that “China is our greatest adversary” and questioned why the United States was “training and educating our enemies to work to destroy us.” Moore said the bill would “end student visas for Chinese nationals tied to the CCP.”
On Monday, Representative Mary Miller of Illinois wrote on social media that China was “buying our land, infiltrating our institutions, and undermining our national security.” She then called to “end the student visas.”
What Trump Said About Chinese Espionage
In his remarks at the White House on Thursday, Trump accused China of illegally obtaining 220 million files containing sensitive voter data in an effort to influence the 2020 election, describing it as “the largest compromise of election data of all time.” Trump did not provide evidence for the claim or explain how the alleged acquisition of voter information may have affected the outcome of the election.
Beijing has rejected the allegation. “The U.S. allegations have no factual basis and are intended to vilify China,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters on Friday.
China has consistently denied interfering in U.S. elections. A 2021 U.S. intelligence community assessment also concluded that neither China nor any other foreign government altered vote counts or otherwise changed the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Student Visa Changes
Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security finalized a rule governing how long holders of F, J and I visas—including international students, exchange visitors and foreign media representatives—may remain in the United States, formally codifying long-standing “duration of status” policies for those visa categories.
Currently, many of these visa holders are admitted under a system known as duration of status, allowing them to remain in the U.S. as long as they continue to comply with the terms of their visa program. The new proposal would end that framework and replace it with a fixed end date for admission, meaning those seeking to remain in the United States beyond their authorized stay would need to apply to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for an extension.
Separately, the Justice Department opened an investigation on July 20 into whether Harvard University’s China-based financial aid programs discriminate against American students. The department said it would examine whether scholarship and funding opportunities connected to Chinese students or applicants violated federal antidiscrimination laws.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Shakeema Edwards.
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