Chinese students in US colleges raise security worries
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Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) raised alarming concerns about national security risks during his appearance on Breitbart News Daily, revealing that 300,000 Chinese nationals are currently enrolled in American universities.
The congressman highlighted a particularly striking statistic, noting that Chinese nationals comprise 25 percent of New York University’s student population.
Addressing the multifaceted risks, Moore outlined three major concerns about allowing Chinese nationals to study at American institutions. He emphasized the potential for espionage within research and development programs, the risk of students returning to China with valuable technological expertise, and direct surveillance activities on American soil.
🚨🚨🚨I just introduced legislation to BAN China's access to our student visa program.
Every year we allow ***300,000*** Chinese nationals to come here on student visas, and by doing so, we've literally invited the CCP to spy on our military and steal our intellectual property.… pic.twitter.com/EG7JlzVtfW
— Rep. Riley M. Moore (@RepRileyMoore) March 14, 2025
To illustrate his point about surveillance, Moore referenced a recent incident involving a Chinese national who was caught operating a drone over naval shipyards in Newport News, Virginia. He also pointed to the involvement of a Chinese visa holder who led Palestinian Hamas protests at UCLA, suggesting China’s role in fostering domestic unrest.
Drawing a historical parallel, Moore questioned the current approach, stating, “Now, do you think they really care about that much that they’re just trying to destabilize our country? I mean, it’s very clear what’s happening. I don’t remember during the Cold War allowing 300,000 Soviets to come over here and study, and that’s what we’re doing right now, there’s 300,000 Chinese nationals in our university system on visas.”
🚨🚨🚨COMING FRIDAY: Groundbreaking legislation to ban China's access to our student visa program.
We cannot give ***300,000*** Chinese nationals unfettered access to the U.S. each year when we know the CCP is exploiting our hospitality for espionage. https://t.co/PnPEIxrIHH
— Rep. Riley M. Moore (@RepRileyMoore) March 12, 2025
Moore’s proposed legislation aims to completely halt student visas for Chinese nationals. Under his plan, current visa holders would be unable to renew their permits upon expiration, though exceptional individuals could still enter the U.S. through the O-1 Visa program, commonly known as the “Einstein visa.”
The congressman concluded by comparing the scale of this issue to other immigration concerns, pointing out that while the H-1B visa program involves 750,000 people, the presence of 300,000 Chinese students on visas represents a significant but often overlooked challenge to national security.
