In a surprising reversal of his earlier hard-line immigration stance, President Donald Trump has voiced support for allowing foreign students to continue enrolling in universities in the United States of America. 

The shift comes amid mounting concerns about the financial stability of American higher education institutions, such as Harvard University, which is currently facing a USD 350 million deficit. 

Speaking on Fox News, Trump cautioned against slashing the number of international students, saying: “You don’t want to cut half of the people, half of the students from all over the world that are coming into our country — destroy our entire university and college system — I don’t want to do that.” 

He added, “I actually think it's good to have outside countries. Look, I want to be able to get along with the world.” 

When asked why he would not restrict students from certain foreign countries, particularly China, Trump argued that foreign students help keep US campuses financially strong, warning that major reductions in their numbers could lead to college and university closures or bankruptcies, NDTV reports.

“We take in trillions of dollars from students. You know, the students pay more than double when they come in from most foreign countries. I want to see our school system thrive... It's not that I want them, but I view it as a business,” he said. 

The pivot marks a departure from the “America First” immigration rhetoric associated with the MAGA movement, which often emphasised limiting foreign inflow and focusing on domestic talent.