In Our National Interest: International Students Make America Safer, Stronger, and More Prosperous
To: Congressional Leadership of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives
From: U.S. For Success Coalition Members
We, the undersigned organizations, are writing with serious concerns about recent actions and policies that have created barriers for international students and scholars seeking to further their education in the United States. They play a critical role in enriching the academic, cultural, and economic landscape of our nation. Any effort to restrict or deter them is detrimental to American students and businesses and to the United States’ position as a global leader in higher education.
Secretary Rubio has said that every policy pursued must make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. Yet, visa revocations, detentions, and, in the case of South Sudan, outright visa bans will have the opposite effect. International students and scholars are already the most thoroughly vetted and closely monitored nonimmigrants in the United States.
We urge you to convey to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that it is in our national interest to welcome international students and scholars to study and stay here.
International students have an overwhelmingly positive impact on making our nation safer, stronger, and more prosperous.
🔹International students make America safer. The recent immigration actions are likely to discourage students from studying in the United States at a time when other countries are increasing their recruitment efforts. In fact, new survey data by StudyPortals shows that interest in U.S. postgraduate education has plunged 40 percent since January 2025. If students no longer come here, the United States will lose its ability to build relationships with future leaders in other countries and strengthen our own national security. The Higher Education Policy Institute found that 70 world leaders across 58 UN member countries received their higher education in the United States.
🔹 They fuel our economy. International students contribute nearly $44 billion annually and support more than 378,000 American jobs. Their spending on housing, food, and services helps sustain businesses in every state. For every three international students, one U.S. job is created or supported in sectors that benefit Americans.
🔹 Their presence benefits U.S. students. Even though international students make up only 6% of the total higher education population, their enrollment creates opportunities for American students. Most international students pay out-of-state tuition, injecting vital revenue into our colleges and universities and helping keep costs down for domestic students. They also often serve as instructors in key fields, including foreign languages and STEM. Research by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) also found that enrolling more international undergraduate students led to an increase in the number of STEM bachelor's degrees awarded to U.S. students.
🔹 They drive American innovation. International students have pioneered breakthroughs in nanotechnology, cancer treatment, and artificial intelligence. The technology enabling Zoom and FaceTime was invented by an international student. NFAP research found that international student alumni have founded a quarter of the billion-dollar start-ups in the United States. Restricting their entry means shutting the door on the next generation of life-changing discoveries.
🔹 Losing global talent weakens us. When a talented Turkish student could not secure a visa to stay in this country, he took his expertise to China—where he helped Huawei dominate 5G technology, outpacing its competitors tenfold in terms of securing patents. America cannot afford to drive away the world’s top minds.
🔹 They are America’s best ambassadors. International students return home as business partners, entrepreneurs, and allies, strengthening economic and diplomatic ties that benefit America for generations. International education is smart diplomacy—an investment in our future.
Abrupt visa and immigration actions targeting international students and scholars are counterproductive. If the Trump administration has concerns about compliance, those should be made clear to students and higher education institutions. Without transparency and due process, these actions will not make America safer. Instead, they send a chilling message to the world: America no longer welcomes the world’s best and brightest.
We strongly urge you to communicate to Secretaries Rubio and Noem that it should be a national priority to welcome international students and scholars to study and succeed here.
Thank you for your leadership on this critical issue.
(List of Signatories)
