Trump and Miller are compelling colleges not to enroll international students
The Trump administration is using rules, policies and formal agreements to compel and discourage U.S. universities from enrolling international students. A controversial immigration clause in the administration’s agreement with Columbia University represents the latest move to decrease international student enrollment. Settlements with other schools could soon follow. Despite what economists and educators view as the benefits of international students, Trump officials, led by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, appear determined to reduce the number of international students who enter and remain in the United States to work.
On July 23, 2025, Trump officials and Columbia University signed an agreement after the administration withheld over $400 million in federal research funds. The Trump administration accused the school of not sufficiently combating antisemitism on campus. Under the agreement, Columbia will pay $200 million to the U.S. Treasury and an additional $21 million into a fund associated with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to settle claims. A Resolution Monitor will “monitor Columbia’s compliance” with those and other provisions. Columbia’s leadership decided that future and current funding, more than $1 billion, would remain at risk without a settlement.
The agreement includes a controversial provision that commits Columbia University to decreasing international student enrollment. The measure has received little attention. On page nine, the agreement states, “Columbia will examine its business model and take steps to decrease financial dependence on international student enrollment.”
The measure is extraordinary, given that international students typically pay higher tuition than domestic students. Admitting more international students would likely improve the school’s finances.
“It makes no economic sense for U.S. universities or the American economy to admit fewer international students,” said Mark Regets, an economist and senior fellow at the National Foundation for American Policy. “The United States benefits economically in several ways from international students and the same is true for the universities where they enroll.”
The number of U.S.-born men and women of college age is declining, which means a more prudent policy for U.S. universities and the federal government would be to attract more international students to the United States. [Continue reading…]