Summary
A Republican Senator, Tom Cotton, has proposed a bill that would require U.S. colleges and universities to report information about international students and staff to the federal government. The bill aims to track these individuals to address national security concerns and requires institutions to report data to a federal system known as SEVIS. The proposal is part of the Trump administration's broader immigration policies, which have included revoking over 100,000 visas.
Key Facts
- The proposed bill is called the Educational Visa Transparency Act.
- Universities receiving federal funds would report foreign students and staff details to SEVIS.
- SEVIS is used by the Department of Homeland Security to track foreign students' immigration status.
- The bill has been read twice in the Senate.
- More than 100,000 visas, including about 8,000 student visas, have been revoked by the Trump administration.
- The State Department announced it has also suspended visas for citizens of 75 countries.
- There have been recent cases where foreign nationals were charged with attempting to smuggle biological materials into the U.S.
