On Jan. 1 the Immigration and Naturalization Service will begin the large-scale tracking of foreign students in the United States. GW must be certified to use this tracking system by Jan. 30 in order to retain its ability to accept international students. There is no question that GW will be certified by the necessary time – the only question is if it is appropriate to track the movements of foreigners coming to study in the United States.
The system, while understandably important in the wake of Sept. 11, sets dangerous precedents for limiting the freedoms of foreigners, especially when placed in context of its creation – the U.S. Patriot Act. The act, which includes provisions for setting up the tracking system, gives law enforcement extra authority and tools to investigate “suspected terrorists.”
The computerized program, Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, requires universities to supply foreign students’ names, addresses, class attendance records and academic status. Through the system, INS is attempting to track which international students colleges accept, when those students enter and leave the United States and what they do while they are in the country.
Students who study in the United States expect levels of freedom above those elsewhere in the world, as America consistently promotes itself as the land of the free. However, new restrictions on foreigners send a decisive message to the international community – America no longer grants the same freedoms it once touted to visitors.
The Patriot Act gives authorities other new powers over international students including opening student computer files without their permission, reporting on library books checked out and even breaking into Internet service providers to view private e-mails. This invasion of privacy is new to the world of academia and universities are expected to jump on board with these new authoritarian-like laws.
The Patriot Act requirements are not that outlandish considering the devastation of Sept. 11, but if authorities can bend the Constitution a little bit now, who is to say they will not ask for more authority in the future? Will people protest if foreigners are required to provide even more information about themselves or if the Justice Department completely suspends habeas corpus in the case of foreigner arrests?
One INS official said, “SEVIS is a program, not an event. It will grow and develop after January 1.” But, students must ask, what will it develop into?
