During a March press conference, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the federal administration’s actions in moving to deport Tufts University graduate student and Fulbright Scholar Rümeysa Öztürk. His remarks included the following, which I quote at length from the official transcript of his remarks because it provides a powerful statement of the administration’s view of the purpose of encouraging international students to study within the US.

The Indispensable Role of Faculty in Higher Education
If a university were a quilt, the faculty would be the threads holding the fabric together. But despite their essential role, faculty often find themselves undervalued and underappreciated. This article