Vance: Could see more deportations of student-visa holders

Vance: Could see more deportations of student-visa holders

The ongoing tensions between the United States and China have taken a new turn, with Republican lawmakers in the US House of Representatives planning to introduce a bill that could block Chinese citizens from obtaining student visas [1]. This move comes amid concerns about potential espionage activities by Chinese students and researchers.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post, Representative Riley Moore of West Virginia is sponsoring the "Stop Chinese Communist Prying by Vindicating Intellectual Safeguards in Academia Act" [1]. The bill, if passed, would halt the issuance of student or research visas for all Chinese nationals. The proposed legislation has garnered support from several Republican representatives, including Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Brandon Gill of Texas, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania [1].

This move comes at a time when Chinese students make up the second-largest group of foreign students in the US, with 277,398 students enrolled in the 2023-24 academic year [1]. However, the number of Chinese students in the US has been declining since the 2019-20 school year.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has expressed disappointment and anger over the potential deportation of Chinese students. In a recent incident, a Chinese student was repatriated back to China from the US after being detained and questioned for over 20 hours by US border control staff at San Francisco International Airport [2]. This was not an isolated incident, as the US has been frequently harassing, interrogating, and deporting Chinese students without just cause since 2019 [2].

The US government's actions have been criticized for going beyond the scope of normal law enforcement and having a strong ideological bias [2]. The potential deportation of more Chinese student-visa holders could further strain the already tense relations between the two countries.

References:

[1] "US House Republicans poised to introduce bill blocking Chinese student or research visas," South China Morning Post, March 10, 2024. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3302294/us-house-republicans-poised-introduce-bill-block-chinese-student-or-research-visas

[2] "Chinese Foreign Ministry expresses disappointment, anger over repatriation of student," China Daily, March 11, 2024. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202403/11/WS65ee7036a31082fc043bbe0e.html