Jayapal, Raskin Oppose Policy Adding Red Tape to Visa Process

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, and Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, are submitting formal opposition to a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rule that would add further bureaucratic hurdles to visa processing for students, exchange visitors, and media personnel.

"DHS's proposal to constrain the timeframe of admission for students, exchange visitors, and members of the media to a fixed period of time is the latest in a series of unwarranted policy changes that have undermined our role as a leader in international education, and harmed universities, businesses, and U.S. students that depend on foreign student enrollment," wrote the Members. "We cannot condone the erosion of our platforms of learning, culture, and expression-particularly when there is no basis to do so."

For decades, DHS's procedure for temporary admission of foreign students, exchange visitors, and media representatives has been done as "duration of status" - allowing individuals to be admitted, after vetting, for a period of time that complies with the terms and conditions of their temporary visas. For instance, a visa for a foreign student would fit the duration of the school dates at their university, ensuring that students can finish their degrees. DHS is proposing a rule to change these visas to be on an arbitrary timeline.

This change would create confusion and strain on visitors to this country, deterring the best and brightest from choosing to study at American universities and diminishing our ability to compete on the international stage. It would also impose significant burdens on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency that already has a backlog of 11.3 million cases.

The full text of the letter can be read here.

The letter was also signed by Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (VA-08), André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mike Thompson (CA-04), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12).

Issues: Immigration