Entire Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Quits In Protest Of Trump

All twelve members of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board have resigned in response to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on the flawed foreign student system that has taken hold of America’s colleges and universities.

In a public letter, the board declared that it had “voted overwhelmingly” to resign.

“Effective immediately, members of the Congressionally mandated Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board voted overwhelmingly to resign from the board, rather than endorse unprecedented actions that we believe are impermissible under the law, compromise U.S. national interests and integrity, and undermine the mission and mandates Congress established for the Fulbright program nearly 80 years ago,” the letter stated.

The board asserted that it had adhered to the law throughout both Democratic and Republican administrations.

“Under both Democratic and Republican administrations, the Board has adhered to the law, functioning with independence in accordance with its statutory mandate. Indeed, the Fulbright-Hays Act underscores the non-political and non-ideological nature of the program,” the board added.

Nevertheless, they contend that the Trump administration has overstepped its bounds this time.

“However, the current administration has usurped the authority of the Board and denied Fulbright awards to a significant number of individuals who were selected for the 2025–2026 academic year. The administration is also currently subjecting an additional 1,200 foreign Fulbright recipients to an unauthorized review process and may reject more,” the board indicated.

The board claimed that the administration’s actions “not only contradict the statute but are antithetical to the Fulbright mission and the values, including free speech and academic freedom, that Congress specified in the statute.”

The board maintains that they have consistently raised these concerns, only to have them disregarded.

“We have consistently raised these legal concerns and expressed our strong objections to senior administration officials on numerous occasions, including in written form,” stated the board. “We genuinely hope that Congress, the judiciary, and future Fulbright Boards will thwart the administration’s attempts to undermine, dismantle, or even abolish one of our country’s most esteemed and valuable programs. Introducing political agendas and ideological mandates into the Fulbright program contravenes both the letter and the spirit of the law that Congress wisely enacted nearly eighty years ago.”

In the meantime, officials from the Trump administration have highlighted an escalating national security threat that many believe the Fulbright program has facilitated for an extended period.

Just this week, a Chinese national named Chengxuan Han was apprehended while attempting to smuggle biological materials into the United States.

“The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this individual from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China — intended for use at a University of Michigan laboratory — is indicative of a troubling trend that jeopardizes our security,” remarked U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr.

“The FBI maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for those who breach federal law and remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding the American populace,” stated Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The alleged smuggling of biological materials by Chengxuan Han poses a direct risk to public safety and national security, and it significantly undermines the integrity of our nation’s research institutions.”

The University of Michigan engaged Han as a visiting scholar to conduct research in one of its laboratories.

As reported by the “Detroit Free Press,” Han sent several packages to the United States — one was directed to an active lab member, while another was intended for a faculty or staff member at the university.

In a legal document, Han acknowledged the contents of her shipments.

She stated that it included “nematode growth medium (NGM) (in the petri dishes) and plasmids (in the envelope).”

Additionally, last month, the “Stanford Review” revealed an alleged network of Chinese espionage occurring on its campus.

The student publication noted, “Transnational repression, $64 million in Chinese funding, and allegations of racial profiling have fostered a widespread culture of silence at Stanford and beyond.”