Steve Cortes, President of the League of American Workers, has raised concerns regarding Chinese enrollment at the University of Illinois and other campuses. He said on X that this trend is displacing qualified Illinois and American students and raising security concerns.
“Hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals, taking spots away from American young people,” said Cortes. “Including here in the heartland like at University of Illinois with 6,000 Chinese! This practice isn’t controlled immigration, it’s a mass infiltration!!!”
According to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, it serves as the flagship public university for the state, attracting students from various regions including Chicago, Peoria, and across the Midwest. Over recent years, it has become a prominent destination for Chinese nationals in America, with reports indicating approximately 5,000–5,600 Chinese students on campus. This makes it one of the largest such enrollments in the country. The presence of these international students significantly impacts tuition revenue, campus life, and the surrounding Urbana-Champaign community. Consequently, foreign enrollment has become a notable issue in Illinois debates concerning admissions, funding, and priorities.
The Institute of International Education reported that U.S. colleges and universities hosted over 1.1 million international students during the 2023–24 academic year, marking a record high. International students now constitute about 6 percent of overall higher-education enrollment in the United States, with China and India being among the leading countries of origin. Additionally, participation in Optional Practical Training (OPT), which permits foreign graduates to work temporarily in the U.S., has reached unprecedented levels with more than 240,000 students involved in 2023–24. Many participants are engaged in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and other high-skill fields. These national trends provide context for Cortes’s critique focused on Illinois.
According to data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, American taxpayers significantly support universities through federal research grants and state appropriations. In 2023 alone, approximately $49 billion was awarded by the federal government for higher-education research and development funding. Simultaneously, many international graduates remain in the U.S., utilizing OPT work visas—a program that now includes over 240,000 participants nationwide. This combination of public subsidies and post-study work access influences admissions and workforce decisions at institutions like the University of Illinois.
Cortes is also known as Founder and President of League of American Workers and serves as a senior political advisor to CatholicVote. He previously held positions as a senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance and is recognized as a commentator for Fox News and CNN. Cortes frequently publishes documentaries and columns on his platform cortesinvestigates.com.
