The number of international students entering the U.S. this August plunged 19 percent from last year—the steepest drop on record outside the pandemic—according to new federal arrival data. The slump follows a series of Trump administration policies tightening visa vetting, restricting travel from 19 countries, and threatening deportations for international students accused of pro-Palestinian speech. The data captures both new and returning students but historically tracks closely with fall enrollment trends. A separate federal database confirms the downturn, showing overall growth in international students 23 percent slower than last year—another sign that new enrollments are faltering. The decline is sharpest in Asia, which accounts for more than 70 percent of America’s international students. August arrivals from the region dropped 24 percent overall, with Indian students—now the largest single group—falling a staggering 44 percent amid prolonged visa delays. Arrivals from China, the second-largest source, continued their post-pandemic slide as U.S.–China tensions deepened. Europe bucked the trend, holding steady year over year, while African student arrivals plunged by nearly a third. Students from the Middle East and South America also declined, extending a years-long downturn in participation from those regions. In August, Trump said America’s college system would “go to hell” without international students.
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