[R-G] Senator Feinstein May Propose 6-Month Moratorium on Student Visas

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

*****   From: Kevin Kniffin <kniffin at essential.org>
Subject:  9-11 impacts on intl students-employees
To: cgeu-list at cgeu.org

Subject: [hbe-l] Senator Feinstein May Propose 6-Month Moratorium on 
Student Visas
Resent-Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 13:18:11 -0400 (EDT)
From: Premise Checker <checker at clark.net>

Daily report from the Chronicle of Higher Education,
http://chronicle.com

Monday, September 24, 2001

Senator Feinstein May Propose 6-Month Moratorium on Student Visas
By SARA HEBEL and RON SOUTHWICK

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat worried about reports 
that at least one man involved in this month's terrorist attacks 
entered the United States on a student visa, may propose legislation 
that would prevent the federal government from issuing any student 
visas for the next six months.

In a conversation with The New York Times on Thursday, Senator 
Feinstein, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said she has 
considered drafting legislation to impose the six-month moratorium or 
make other changes to the ways students who enter the country on 
student visas are monitored, according to Jim Hock, the senator's 
press secretary. However, the senator has not made any final decision 
about whether she might decide to offer a bill, Mr. Hock added.

Senator Feinstein was "troubled," Mr. Hock said, by reports that Hani 
Hanjour, one of the suspected hijackers in the September 11 terrorist 
attacks, entered the United States on a student visa issued so he 
could study English at Holy Names College, in Oakland, Calif. He 
never showed up for class.

Edward M. Elmendorf, vice president for governmental relations at the 
American Association of State Colleges and Universities, said that 
Senator Feinstein's idea would go too far. "It's a wrong-headed 
move," Mr. Elmendorf said. "It's unnecessarily restrictive."

College lobbyists and advocates have previously expressed worries 
about the prospect of restrictions on the admission of international 
students. (See an article from The Chronicle, September 18, 2001.) 
American colleges and universities drew 514,723 students from other 
countries in the 1999-2000 academic year, according to the Institute 
of International Education.

California, Ms. Feinstein's state, drew 66,305 students from other 
countries, more than any other state, according to the institute's 
report.

Meanwhile, the Immigration and Naturalization Service is scheduled to 
develop a computer database to monitor foreign students by January 
2003. Some college organizations had opposed that effort, but in the 
wake of the terrorist attacks, those protests have been dropped. 
NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the chief critic of 
the database, announced last week that it would no longer oppose the 
creation of such a database. "The time for debate on this matter is 
over, and the time to devise a considered response to terrorism has 
arrived," the group said in a press release.

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*****   To: professors_for_peace at yahoogroups.com
From: Phil Gasper <pgasper at ndnu.edu>
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 08:33:23 -0700
Reply-To: professors_for_peace at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [P_F_P] Rally at Diane Feinstein's Office

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 5PM, ONE POST STREET (POST AND MARKET) AT THE 
MONTGOMERY STREET BART
Call Feinstein: (415) 393-0707 or talk to her legislative staff 
directly at: 202.224.3841 (ask for Camille Camacho and Lavita 
Strickland)

Berkeley Stop the War Coalition is sponsoring a MASS RALLY against 
Dianne Feinstein's proposed action to STOP ALL NEW FOREIGN STUDENT 
VISAS for the next 6 months.  This would likely effect well over 
100,000 STUDENTS as there were 240,000 new student visas granted over 
the past year.  Her rational is that one of the hijackers had a 
student visa in Oakland.  SHE HAS NOT INTRODUCED HER BILL YET.  Let's 
stop her before she does!!

WE MUST DEFEND OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES.  Thomas Jefferson (though not 
always admirable) wisely said that if we violate civil liberties in 
exchange for security we will get neither.  We must tell Feinstein 
and the rest of the country loud and clear that WE WILL NOT LET OUR 
CIVIL LIBERTIES BE VIOLATED, OR THE INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS OF OUR 
COMMUNITY BE ATTACKED!

Please help us pass out flyers.  We will have massive amounts at 
today's rally in Delores Park.

Contact: Sara at 510.649.1887 or e-mail Jonah at jzern1 at yahoo.com to 
help/speak/cosponsor.

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To report or learn about demonstrations for peace in your region and 
for a wide range of other related information see:
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~dereka/   *****