California Rep. Eric Swalwell said the United States should consider deporting all Russian foreign exchange students in response to the nation’s invasion of Ukraine.
Swalwell, a Democrat who represents a northern California Bay Area district, made the comments during an interview on CNN Newsroom Thursday. The congressman also said the U.S. should consider closing the Russian Embassy in Washington.
“Frankly, I think closing their embassy in the United States, kicking every Russian student out of the United States … should … be on the table,” Swalwell said. “Vladimir Putin needs to know every day that he is in Ukraine, there are more severe options that could come.”
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The Russian invasion of Ukraine that began Thursday was met with widespread condemnation. Western European leaders and the Biden administration vowed to implement broad and harsh sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Expelling Russian nationals, including college students, has not previously been mentioned as a possible retaliatory action for the U.S. to take. Data from UNESCO, the United Nations’s education and culture arm, indicate that there are over 25,000 Russian students studying abroad in Western Europe and North America in 2019. More recent as well as U.S.-specific data was not available.
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The Washington Examiner asked the State Department for comment but has not received a response.
