Welcome to The Campus Brief. Today, we explore why America once welcomed Chinese students with open arms—and why the Trump administration is now closing its doors.

Back in 1987, graduate student Haipei Shue arrived at the University of Wisconsin–Madison to “an extraordinary time” of curiosity and friendship, he recalls. Under Presidents Carter and Nixon, sending Chinese scholars to U.S. universities became a cornerstone of soft power. Enrollment swelled to some 277,000 Chinese students last year, many contributing to science, business and academia.

Now, the administration plans to revoke visas for students with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or in so-called “critical fields,” vetting applications with social media checks. As State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce put it, “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision.”

Critics warn these sweeping rules lump genuine scholars with potential threats. “These policies are so broad that they don’t give U.S. officers the ability to effectively distinguish,” says Rosie Levine of the U.S.–China Education Trust.

For advocates like Mr. Shue, today’s climate feels like a betrayal of America’s promise. “How did we deteriorate to this point,” he asks, “where foreign students are viewed as a potential liability rather than assets?”
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