Congressman Riley Moore introduced the Stop Chinese Communist Prying by Vindicating Intellectual Safeguards in Academia Act on March 14, aiming to stop Chinese national students from acquiring student visas.

The bill cites concerns about national security and claims there have been instances where Chinese international students attempted to spy for the Chinese government.

If the bill is passed, it will ban all Chinese nationals from obtaining student visas.

The congressman’s office argues the importance of such a legislation citing three examples within the past decade where Chinese students were charged for spying or acting as an agent of the Chinese government.

“I will never apologize for defending America’s vital national interest against our greatest geopolitical foe.” Moore stated in an email to NBC News.

According to NBC News, some have called the bill “the new Chinese Exclusion Act.”

The original act was signed into law in 1882 and restricted Chinese immigrants from entering the country for 10 years.

The act also prevented Chinese immigrants already presiding in the United States from becoming citizens and fueled anti-Chinese sentiment across the country, leading to further discrimination and violence.

Chinese nationals are strongly against this bill, and both Moore and the legislation are under heavy criticism from politicians and students.

Ivy League graduates condemned Moore’s actions and cited the need for Chinese students all over academia.

Yangyang Cheng, a research scholar at Yale Law School told the Associated Press that the bill “should be seen as part of a broader effort to restrict academic freedom and hurt higher education in this country, to control what can be taught, which research projects can be pursued, and who have access to the classroom and laboratories.”

Many state that although national security should be prioritized, the government should not turn to xenophobia because Chinese students are contributors to the economy and the academic field.

Concerns about Chinese students are not new. Historically, U.S. officials have implemented policies that restricted Chinese immigration.

In 2020, during President Donald Trump’s first term, over 1,000 visas were cancelled after he signed a proclamation targeting Chinese graduate students over their alleged ties to the Chinese military.

According to a 2020 BBC News article, a senator even suggested that “Chinese nationals should be banned from studying math and science in America.’

Additionally, the chair of the U.S. House Select Committee sent letters to multiple universities inquiring about their Chinese students and the type of research they were doing. 

Because of the communist nature of China, many academic research and studies are restricted so students come to the U.S. pursuing academic freedom.

Most Chinese students are studying in California, where they are furthering research in different fields. 

The issue has raised concerns about its potential impact on the relationship between China and the United States.