United States Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has formally written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding the immediate suspension and cancellation of all F-1 and J-1 student visas held by Chinese nationals enrolled at American universities. The letter, dated 21 July, cites recently declassified intelligence that allegedly documents the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) large-scale efforts to interfere in US elections.

What the Letter Demands

Luna urged the Department of State to immediately review and revoke all active student visas held by Chinese nationals, and to halt the issuance of new visas pending a full review of vetting procedures at higher education institutions. In her letter, she wrote: 'Every single Chinese student visa needs to be cancelled immediately. This is a necessary and proportionate response to a documented state-sponsored effort to undermine the integrity of American elections.'

She further argued that American universities remain 'one of the most vulnerable access points for foreign intelligence services,' and that the US cannot in 'good conscience' allow the existing visa pipeline to serve as a 'potential vector' for CCP influence operations.

The Declassified Intelligence Behind the Push

The demand follows a nationally televised address by President Donald Trump from the White House, in which he announced the declassification of intelligence records relating to election security. Trump alleged that China orchestrated a wide-ranging campaign to interfere in US elections, sought to undermine his presidency, and acquired millions of American voter records — while allegedly concealing its activities through what he described as a cover-up inside the US intelligence community.

'The People's Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history, resulting in China's illicit acquisition of 220 million US voter files,' Trump said, according to the White House address.

Luna's letter echoed those claims, stating that the declassified documents allege the Chinese government carried out 'one of the largest cyber espionage campaigns targeting American election data in history, including the theft of voter names, addresses, phone numbers, political affiliations, and other registration information, beginning with the 2020 election cycle.'

Scale of the Alleged Interference

According to the declassified materials cited by both Trump and Luna, the alleged operation involved the theft of voter registration data on a scale not previously disclosed publicly. Trump described the revelations as exposing 'shocking vulnerabilities' in America's election infrastructure. The intelligence has not been independently verified, and Beijing has not publicly responded to the specific allegations.

What Happens Next

The letter is a formal congressional request and does not carry the force of law, but it places direct pressure on the State Department under Rubio to act. Any blanket revocation of Chinese student visas would represent a historic and legally complex policy shift, affecting tens of thousands of students currently enrolled across the United States. No official response from the State Department had been reported as of the time of writing. The move is likely to intensify diplomatic friction between Washington and Beijing at an already sensitive moment in bilateral relations.