Mumbai: In a recent house bill, Texan state representative Tony Tinderhol proposed the prohibition of students from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran from Higher Education Institutions within the state, The Pie News reported.
The bill also seeks to ban all undocumented students from Texan colleges.
While parties close to the subject say that the law is unlikely to pass, many are concerned that it may rekindle anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiments.
“While the bill is most likely not to pass, the mere idea that students, many already faced with hardships and struggles, are targeted restricts the ability to share ideas, knowledge, and experiences.
This hurts Texas students and is a slap to our state’s diversity,” explained Lin Larson, director of student recruitment at The University of Texas, while talking to The Pie News.
The recent data curated by Open Doors shows that of the 70,223 international students in the state – who spend some $1.7 billion – 15.8% came from China in the 2021-22 academic year, as per reports.
The data also showed that there were 9,295 Iranian students in the United States in 2020-21, along with approximately 4,800 Russian students who were enrolled in US colleges and universities.
It is unknown how many North Korean students study in the country. Reports also suggest that China is the main study destination for the small number of individuals leaving the authoritarian country, reported the Pie News.
