The state of Tennessee will be keeping tabs on foreign students in colleges and universities across the state by requiring that some foreign students register monthly with law enforcement officials.
The bill, which was proposed by state Senator Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville), would also mandate that these students receive a photo identification card and be required to check in with law enforcement each month and prove that they are attending college.
Only foreign students whose home countries are at war with the United States or are listed by the Federal State Department as being known to support terrorism would be affected, a fact that is not currently made clear in the description of the bill.
Students from countries such as Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, North Korea or Syria would be affected by the new proposal. There are students from Syria, Pakistan and Iran presently enrolled at The University of Memphis.
The bill is retroactive, meaning that new students, as well as those already enrolled in a university, would be forced to register. If passed, the bill is expected to cost the state of Tennessee about $190,000 per year.
“Concerns from my constituents in Knoxville, and from the University of Tennessee, that no records were being kept on these foreign students are what brought about the bill,” Burchett said.
The bill is receiving broad-based support and will be put on notice in the state senate, according to Burchett.
The punishment for not registering is not clear yet, but violators may be ineligible to attend their college or university — and more serious consequences might be enforced.
“I’d hope that the students who failed to register would be deported,” said Burchett.
There is some concern as to whether or not the proposed action would violate the rights of foreign students.
“We are absolutely worried about (foreign students’) civil liberties, but what about the civil liberties of the victims in the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon?” Burchett said.
“I find it very offensive personally, but international students have different rights than U.S. citizens, so I don’t know if it is a violation of their rights or not,” said Clara Nunis, international student adviser.
Nunis said she believes that the current monitoring system for foreign students is sufficient.
“Student visas are the most watched and regulated of all — tourist visas are the most unmonitored. Universities already do substantial background checks before admitting a foreign student,” Nunis said.
The registration and monthly check-in would be hassle-free, according to Burchett, who said, “The system would be simple. The student would show a photo ID and prove they’re on campus. The ones that don’t attend should have their records turned over to INS.”
The bill is not likely to be passed into law unless some compromises are made to appease the necessary majority of house and senate members.
“I would hope that the bill would be passed in some form, but some compromises might be necessary to get the bill passed,” said Burchett.
The federal government has been trying to bring about a system that would keep track of all foreign students for about eight years now, and still has not been able to get the project off the ground, which leads many Tennessee citizens to believe that the action would be ineffective.
“It would be redundant and impossible to enforce. It sounds like some senator just wants to make a name for himself, and doesn’t really know what’s actually involved,” Nunis said.
