Trump's message to foreign students is alarming

An Ivy League degree has long been central to the Asian Dream — a ticket to success and status.

- Karishma Vaswani, Tribune News Service

But President Donald Trump's message to international students is clear: Far fewer of you are welcome.

The blunt statement and growing chaos across the university sector has left families wondering if sending their children to America is still worth it.

The White House’s immediate target is Chinese students allegedly connected to the Communist Party. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US plans to start “aggressively” revoking their visas. Students affected would include “those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” The US will also enhance scrutiny “of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong,” he added.

It’s unclear how these rules will be executed; the move follows a short period of improved ties between the superpowers after they agreed to a truce in the trade war. China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday expressed its dissatisfaction, saying it had lodged a protest with the US. The impact is wider than Washington and Beijing's geopolitical rivalry. The decision to ban Harvard from enrolling international students is focusing minds in Asia, even though a federal judge has temporarily blocked the policy. Many families are wondering if other universities will be next.