Congress has been working on making new laws to limit the number of immigrants coming into the United States since the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Now, in the wake of an even greater tragedy, the government is trying to speed up the process.
The laws being worked on include changing requirements for international college students. Tuition may be raised for international students, as will the bar for standardized test scores. For international students, it will become harder to qualify for a Visa to enter the United States.
To be an international student, one must go through multiple interviews with the U.S. Ambassador to their country. The criteria calls for a standard minimum family income to ensure that the student’s family can afford the cost of an American education. Financial stability is pertinent because should the student become unable to support himself, the INS goes to his family in the home country rather than give the student U.S. welfare.
There was a forum held in the Grace Hall Board Room, at which international students were able to speak about how their lives were affected after the tragedy. One student, Amina Moukhliss from Morocco, relayed her story of going to work that morning. A coworker asked if she was “one of them,” Moukhliss replied, “I am an Arab, but I am not a terrorist.”
The students were also concerned with the changes to laws allowing foreign students access to U.S. education. Sorin Ilies of Romania, candidly stated, “The moment you make it harder, America loses. Students are free minds.”
Moukhliss added that not all Arabs are bad and that Islam never taught anyone to kill. “Everybody in my country was against it. They were united for America, not because they are Americans, but because they are human.”
