Grassley: Terrorists will exploit student visas

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said he would introduce a bill this week to ensure terrorists cannot take advantage of student visa programs.

“It’s time to close the loopholes and clamp down on schools that have a poor record,” Grassley said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “This week I’m introducing legislation that requires schools to be certified in order to bring in foreign students.”

{mosads}Grassley said it was past time for Congress to be “more vigilant” about student visas, especially with the growing terrorist threat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“Terrorists will exploit our immigration policies,” Grassley said.

He said lawmakers should have learned their lesson after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. The 19 foreigners involved in the attacks were inside the United States on student, worker and tourist visas.

“This was a wake up call that we needed better oversight of our visa programs,” Grassley said. “The federal government remains incapable of ensuring those entering the country are truly students attending our education institutions.”

— This article was updated at 4 p.m.