OCA Condemns Trump Administration’s Decision to Revoke Visas for Chinese Students
For Immediate Release
June 2, 2025
Media Contact:
Socheata Sun, Senior Communications Associate
socheata.sun@ocanational.org
Washington, D.C. — OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates strongly condemns the Trump administration’s decision to revoke visas for Chinese international students. On May 28, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a directive instructing the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to cancel student visas and increase scrutiny of future applicants from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong.
“OCA firmly stands against this attack on Chinese international students and academic institutions by the Trump administration,” said Thu Nguyen, Executive Director of OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates. “Time and again, history has shown that reckless, exclusionary policies based on race and national origin do not make us safer. Rather than addressing real national security concerns, these policies fuel prejudice and harmful stereotyping of the greater Asian and American community, putting lives and livelihoods at risk of irreparable harm.”
Many OCA members are current and former international students and researchers who have advanced science, technology, social sciences, and other critical fields at American institutions. “This directive disregards the major contributions of international students who drive innovation, enrich campus life, and contribute billions to our national economy,” Nguyen added. “These are students who overwhelmingly come to America for the opportunity to learn. The exchange of knowledge is what fuels American innovation, research, and competitiveness. Revoking visas not only upends lives and careers but also deals a major blow to America’s global competitiveness.”
OCA calls on policymakers to reject these discriminatory visa bans and instead commit to targeted, evidence-based national security strategies that align with our constitutional values.
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About OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates
Founded in 1973, OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national, member-driven social justice organization of community advocates dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs). Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.