A new report for the Student Exchange Visitors Program (SEVP) generated by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows that of the 1.18 million students from foreign countries studying at colleges and universities in the United States 77 percent are from Asia.

“Seventy-seven percent of international students hailed from Asia,” the press release announcing the report said. “Among continents, South America had the largest percentage increase (6.5 percent) in international students studying in the United States when compared to May 2016.”

Most students come from China (362,268) and India (206,698), according to the report.

“Nearly 514,000 international students pursued science, technology engineering or mathematics (STEM) degrees in May 2017, marking an 8 percent increase from May 2016,” the press release said. “Thirty-nine percent of those students pursued engineering degrees.”

Other highlights of the report include:

•  New Jersey saw an increase of 10 percent in international students pursuing bachelor’s degrees.

•  New York and Massachusetts added the largest number of international students during that same period, 4,490 students and 2,770 students, respectively.

•  In the South, the international student population grew 3 percent since May 2016.

Meanwhile, Breitbart News reported that the federal government quietly helped and rewarded companies and universities which hired roughly 330,000 cheap foreign graduates in 2016 instead of hiring American graduates, many of whom have large student loan debt.

The “Optional Practical Training” program has grown from 91,140 new foreign job-seekers in 2009 to 329,158 new job-seekers in 2016, according to data provided by the Department of Homeland Security, an almost four-fold increase in seven years.

In addition, there is no cap on the OPT program, which semi-automatically gives work permits lasting up to three years when requested by foreign students who graduate from U.S. universities and colleges.

Furthermore, companies are not required to consider American graduates before hiring OPT graduates, and they receive tax breaks for hiring foreigners over Americans.