A Chinese student planning to enroll at the University of Houston was stopped by U.S. customs at a Texas airport, questioned about his connections to communist organizations, and deported back to China.
Customs officials found on his phone that he had joined several WeChat groups associated with the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA), an organization controlled by the Chinese consulate, according to a U.S. Congressional report.
The 22-year-old philosophy student, identified only by his surname, Gu, was caught off guard following his 29-hour flight to a Texas airport.
Gu said he was confident despite the Trump administration’s stricter policies. He wasn’t overly concerned, even when customs officials at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport stopped him, took him to a room for questioning, searched his belongings, and confiscated his electronics.
His record appeared flawless: his paperwork was in order, he had secured a full scholarship, his field of study was humanities—not a technology-related discipline caught in the intense U.S.-China rivalry—and he had a clean history, having previously attended Cornell University as an exchange student.
After three rounds of questioning totaling 10 hours and a 36-hour detention, Gu was deported to China and banned from returning for five years.
'Not a Bona Fide Traveler'
According to the interview record, Gu was denied entry as “not a bona fide traveler and ... cannot overcome the presumption of an intended immigrant.”Customs officials discovered that Gu had joined multiple CSSA group chats on WeChat, including one associated with the University of Houston.
When asked whether he intended to join the CSSA or the Chinese Students Union Association during his studies in the United States, Gu denied any such intention, saying that “someone” from the University of Houston had invited him to join their CSSA, though he said he could not recall who the inviter was.
Gu explained that he thought it was “conventional” for Chinese students to join such groups to build “some sort of a family or help each other in another country.”
He said he would like to speak to a Chinese consular official on the day of the detention.
Gu’s parents are CCP party members and he is a member of the Communist Youth League, the party’s youth organization.
The officer also asked Gu about his ties to the China Scholarship Council, which also appeared in his chat history. Gu explained that the topic arose in conversations with classmates, but said he had not received funding from the China Scholarship Council.
Immigration lawyer Chen Chuangchuang told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that a U.S. visa grants the right to seek entry at a border port, but admission is not guaranteed, as customs officials have discretionary authority to make the decision.
CSSA’s Close Ties to the CCP
Secretary of state Marco Rubio said in May the United States would start revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the CCP or those who are “studying in critical fields.”It is managed by the CCP’s United Front Work Department, with CSSA chapters at various universities supervised by Chinese embassies and consulates, the report says.
Chen said Gu was found to have participated in CSSA group chats, about which U.S. federal authorities have significant concerns due to the organization's ties to the CCP.
When asked if he was willing to contact Chinese Consular officials, Gu said “sure,” Chen said that someone who dislikes, resists, or fears the CCP would not willingly contact the consulate.
Chen added that this case illustrates the U.S. government’s strict scrutiny of students linked to the CCP. Those unwilling to sever ties with the CCP may face issues, as this case shows.