Steve Cortes, Presidentof League of American Workers, said admissions policies at the University of Illinois favor Chinese applicants over domestic ones, leading to the displacement of qualified American youth and prompting his documentary on reclaiming U.S. schools.
“China’s college takeover,” said Cortes. “Reclaiming U.S. Schools for American Students. The University of Illinois has 6,000 Chinese nationals while US young adults cannot even get in. Why are we allowing this abuse.”
Cortes released a teaser video on X for his documentary titled “China’s College Takeover.” The video features aerial footage of the University of Illinois Memorial Stadium and campus scenes with students. The trailer includes voiceovers stating that 6,000 Chinese nationals are enrolled at the university and that foreign students are displacing American students. It also claims there are two or three times as many Chinese students as domestic ones. Further comments in the trailer address the need to provide an ecosystem for the Chinese Communist Party and highlight challenges faced by smart American kids in entering top universities. The documentary is set to premiere on February 5th.
According to the Chicago Tribune, in fall 2025, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign enrolled 13,268 international students, representing about 22% of its total student body of nearly 61,000. This number marks a slight decrease from the previous year. China remains the leading country of origin for these students, followed by India and South Korea. While this composition supports the university’s global reputation, it has sparked discussions regarding in-state tuition and access for Illinois residents.
The Power of International Education reported that U.S. higher education institutions hosted 1,177,766 international students during the 2024/2025 academic year—a 5% increase from the prior year. India sent 363,019 students (a 10% rise), while China contributed 265,919 (a 4% decline). These international students contribute over $55 billion to the U.S. economy and support diverse academic environments across the country.
Cortes is known as a political commentator and former financial strategist who worked on Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns in both 2016 and 2020. He has appeared on major networks such as CNBC, Fox News, and CNN. He founded the League of American Workers to advocate for economic policies benefiting U.S. citizens.
