“I never imagined this could happen to me,” said Zhang, who – like everyone CNN spoke to for this story – asked to use a pseudonym out of fear of retaliation.

The Trump administration will begin to “aggressively revoke” the visas of Chinese students studying in the U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared today that the U.S. will “aggressively revoke” visas for Chinese students, singling out students “studying in critical fields.”

Prospective international students to the U.S. were dealt another blow when U.S. embassies were ordered not to schedule any new student visa interviews while the Trump Administration prepares to expand its vetting of applicants’ social media profiles.

Students around the world are anxious and in limbo, they say, as the Trump administration makes plans to temporarily halt US student visa appointments.