In recent remarks, President Donald Trump has articulated a strong defense for the enrollment of international students in American universities, emphasizing the economic benefits they bring and the essential role they play in sustaining the country's higher education system. During an interview with a media outlet, Trump cautioned against the potential ramifications of reducing the number of foreign students, pointing out that many colleges rely heavily on the tuition fees paid by these individuals. He stressed, "You don’t want to eliminate half of the students coming from all over the world and destroy our entire university and college system—I don’t want to do that." The President believes that preserving the influx of international students is not just a matter of educational value but also a financial imperative.

Trump highlighted that foreign students contribute significantly to the U.S. economy—citing that they inject "trillions of dollars" and pay tuition fees that are often more than double those of domestic students. He remarked, "I want our education system to thrive... I view it as a business." Despite these encouraging views, Trump's administration has faced criticism for its stringent policies affecting international student visas. Recent actions, including the revocation of thousands of visas and deportations related to student activism, have raised concerns about the treatment of foreign students in the U.S.

When discussing the possibility that reducing foreign enrolment might increase opportunities for domestic students, Trump refuted this claim. He warned that smaller colleges and historically Black universities, which depend on international tuition, would suffer significantly from such measures. "Half of the U.S. colleges would go out of business if we cut that in half," he argued.

In a related move, Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously directed U.S. embassies to suspend student visa interviews temporarily, although they were later reinstated with additional scrutiny. The administration has proposed new regulations, which would restrict international students to 15 percent of the total undergraduate enrollment at colleges, with no more than 5 percent from any one country. These proposed measures have been met with opposition from leading educational institutions, reflecting the complex dynamics surrounding international student enrollment in the U.S. higher education landscape.