Trump visa curbs push Chinese families to survival camps

livemint.com reports that Chinese families preparing children for US universities are increasingly sending them to "survival camps" where exercises include simulated ICE raids. The camps reflect growing fear among parents about safety and hostility under President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

The White House in July issued a rule eliminating the system that allowed foreign students to remain in the US as long as they maintained their student status. livemint.com notes this is one of the biggest changes in educational visa rules in generations, raising fears that the Trump administration could make it harder for graduates to stay and work.

A June paper from the Peterson Institute for International Economics estimates that student visa issuance is running roughly one-third below normal since the new federal policies were adopted. The institute warns that if the reduction persists, the high-skilled STEM workforce, where foreign-born workers account for 30%, could shrink by 6.2%, hitting US GDP by $240 billion to $481 billion annually after a decade.