The AFT has expressed concern to Congress over a new procedure that the Immigration and Naturalization Service was to begin implementing this fall. Section 641 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, directs the INS to collect a fee from all international students at U.S. institutions who hold educational visas and to monitor their whereabouts within this country.

The fee, which is a one-time charge of $95, would go toward paying for the cost of setting up the computerized monitoring system. The section was written as an anti-terrorism measure, but the AFT, joined by many higher education organizations, believes it goes too far.

For one thing, the procedure would take effect 30 days after the INS issues the regulations. It would require international students to send the payment via the Internet using a credit card or a money order secured through a local bank. As the AFT points out in a letter sent to congressional representatives in August, the payment options rely excessively on technology that is not readily available to citizens in many countries. In some rural parts of the world, even the mail delivery systems could be a hindrance, never mind the amount of the fee.

Of greater concern to the union is the government’s focus on monitoring, with its implicit suggestion that international students are "somehow suspicious." The AFT complains, "With no evidence to support such suspicions, and the already existing reporting requirements for institutions of higher education, this onerous policy only serves to discriminate against international students."

The AFT’s letter asks Congress to repeal Section 641 and revisit the issue of how to ensure public safety and the rights of those studying within the United States.