‘DEPORT XI JINPING’S DAUGHTER!’: MAGA amid US visa crackdown on Chinese students

American far-right MAGA activist Laura Loomer called for the deportation of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s daughter following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement that the United States will begin “aggressively” revoking visas of Chinese students.

US President Donald Trump's administration has intensified efforts to deport people and revoke student visas as part of its broader hardline immigration agenda.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X, “The U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.”

In a statement, Rubio added that the State Department will revise visa criteria to impose stricter scrutiny on all future applications from China and Hong Kong.

Replying to this, Loomer said, “LET’S GO! DEPORT XI JINPING’S DAUGHTER! She lives in Massachusetts and went to Harvard! Sources tell me PLA guards from the CCP provide her with private security on US soil in Massachusetts!”

China’s Foreign Ministry previously pledged to “firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests” of its students abroad, in response to the Trump administration’s decision to revoke Harvard University’s authority to enroll foreign students—a move that would significantly impact Chinese nationals studying there.

The number of Chinese students in the US declined to approximately 277,000 in 2024, down from a peak of around 370,000 in 2019.

Also Read: China reacts to Donald Trump banning Harvard from enrolling foreign students; Hong Kong univ extends open invitation

This drop was driven by escalating tensions between the world’s two largest economies, increased U.S. scrutiny of Chinese students, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

International students - India and China together accounting for 54% of them - contributed more than $50 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023, according to the US Department of Commerce.

Why the Washington-Beijing rivalry is targeting Chinese students?

Amid rising US-China geopolitical tensions—widely viewed by analysts as a modern-day cold war—US government agencies and Congress have intensified their examination of China’s state-backed influence and potential technology transfers at American colleges and universities.

Yaqiu Wang, a US-based human rights researcher who originally came to the U.S. from China as a student, acknowledged that Beijing has exploited the openness of American academia for espionage and intellectual property theft, as reported by the Associated Press.

Also Read: ‘Unilateral, unlawful’: Indian, Chinese students unite to sue Trump administration over F-1 visa revocations

However, she described Rubio’s announcement as “deeply concerning.”

"Broad revocations and blanket bans would not only jeopardize the rights and livelihoods of Chinese students studying and working in the US, but also risk undermining America's long-standing position as the global leader in scientific innovation," she said.

Also Read: Harvard Says Trump Student Ban Is Already Causing Harm Despite Judge’s Block

The Trump administration has broadened social media screening for foreign students and is pushing to increase deportations and revoke student visas as part of its broader hardline immigration strategy.

(With inputs from AP)