New Bill Demands Reporting of Visa Holders in Higher Education

Senate Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has introduced a new bill aimed at enhancing scrutiny over foreign nationals in U.S. universities. The proposed legislation, known as the Education Visa Transparency Act, seeks to mandate that publicly funded institutions report all visa holders among students, faculty, and staff to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). This is intended to curb potential research theft by foreign nationals.

The bill would require universities to provide a “complete and accurate list” of all non-U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents affiliated with them, including faculty and administrators, within 60 days of its passage.

Interestingly, Cotton’s proposal follows news of three Chinese individuals from a University of Michigan lab being charged with attempting to smuggle biological materials into the U.S. As reported by Breitbart News, these individuals—Xu Bai, 28, Fengfan Zhang, 27, and Zhiyong Zhang, 30—were conducting research under Professor Xianzhong “Shawn” Xu. They allegedly tried to sneak in biological materials related to roundworms without informing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Cotton has expressed concerns about the lack of oversight for foreign nationals in university labs, stating, “The lack of oversight of foreign nationals in university laboratories and research centers poses a serious national security threat. My bill would require all student and faculty visas to be tracked to prevent foreigners from stealing valuable research.”

If enacted, this bill would ensure that the DHS can effectively monitor the individuals engaged in research and education at publicly funded universities, ideally mitigating risks to national security.