Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, said public universities like the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign often admit large numbers of international students, including from China and India, despite state and federal funding—limiting opportunities for U.S. students and raising questions about how taxpayer dollars are used.
“It’s a nationwide problem,” said Cortes. “Top achieving US young people cannot get into the best US schools, which take our taxpayer money and then fill those college spots with foreigners, including hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals.”
According to Cortes, he commented on X after a post highlighted high-achieving Illinois students being rejected by UIUC. He described this as part of a larger national trend where public universities utilize taxpayer funds but prioritize international over domestic applicants.
In fall 2025, UIUC enrolled 13,268 international students, representing approximately 22 percent of its nearly 61,000 student body. The majority hailed from China, India, and South Korea. While undergraduate international enrollment increased, graduate numbers saw a slight decline. Among U.S. public universities, UIUC ranks second in terms of international student enrollment.
Illinois public universities experienced varied trends in international enrollment in 2025. Despite a decrease in graduate students from abroad, UIUC maintained high numbers overall. Statewide, there was a 14.1 percent year-over-year decrease in international professional student enrollment. This trend highlights broader challenges in attracting foreign talent amid funding constraints.
Nationally, during the 2024-2025 academic year, the U.S. hosted 1,177,766 international students—a 5 percent increase—despite new enrollments falling by 7 percent. China sent 265,919 students (a 4 percent decrease), while India sent 363,019 (a 9 percent increase). Public research universities have increased foreign enrollment to offset state funding cuts; a 10 percent reduction in appropriations led to a 16 percent rise in international student numbers.
Cortes is also known as the senior political advisor to CatholicVote and has served as a senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance. Additionally, he is a commentator for Fox News and CNN and regularly releases documentaries and columns at cortesinvestigates.com.
