Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said on Fox News Tuesday that the United States must prioritize attracting “the best and brightest” international students who genuinely love America.
An Obama-appointed judge temporarily blocked the deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, accused by the Trump administration of supporting Hamas, until a lawsuit challenging his detention is reviewed. While discussing the issue in an appearance on “The Ingraham Angle,” Kennedy said that while America hosts a record number of foreign students, their presence should not negatively impact American students’ opportunities.
“I’m happy to have our foreign students. I want to pick the best and the brightest in the world and have them come. But also, they have to love America,” Kennedy told host Laura Ingraham.
Addressing potential security risks, Kennedy highlighted Chinese students.
“Their allegiance has to be to the country. And when they’re here, they have to behave. And the Immigration Naturalization Act is very clear. If they don’t, if we even have a reasonable belief to think that their presence is adverse to foreign policy, we can deport them. And we should. And these universities like to love them,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy criticized universities for prioritizing financial incentives over national interests. He accused institutions of admitting large numbers of foreign students primarily due to the lucrative full-tuition payments they bring.
“Other countries do the same thing in Australia. They admit so many foreign students, Chinese students, they love them paying full tuition,” Kennedy said. “And that’s fine, but these kids are here with permission of the American people. And they’ve got to support our country or at least not hate it.”
While saying he’s open to foreign students who want to assimilate into American society, Kennedy drew a firm line against those harboring anti-American sentiments.
“I happen to believe that if foreign students want to come here and learn and maybe stay and assimilate and become Americans, I’m happy to have them. But I’m not happy to pay for them to come here to hate on America. And I’m not happy to have universities support that while at the same time taking American taxpayer dollars. I hate the smell of hypocrisy in the morning,” Kennedy added.
The Department of Homeland Security announced Khalil’s arrest and accused him of spearheading activities linked to Hamas. A Columbia University graduate, Khalil emerged as a prominent leader in campus protests during the Israel-Hamas conflict, but officials and critics say his activism violated laws and descended into antisemitism.
Columbia University’s campus demonstrations occurred as part of a broader wave of student protests across the nation. These protests opposed Israel’s military response following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. In response, Trump vowed to target foreign student protesters involved in antisemitic behavior and extremism, subsequently revoking $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University for failing to address antisemitism effectively.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox News)
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