The difference of course is that if you come to a US university expecting to make US wages afterwards, that's one thing. If you suddenly get sent back to a third-world country, that's a totally different thing. The problem is America has effectively been selling these people a false bill of goods.

Has "America" been selling anything? Other than a few private schools like Boston University who view "international" students as their meal tickets, everyone here is largely indifferent to their presence. Meanwhile there are e.g. Chinese government programs to maximize Chinese study in USA.