Marco Rubio Wants Unlimited F-1 Visas for Islamists

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) advocate that Americans should allow an unlimited number of Muslims to enter America and taxpayers should cover the costs. Rubio cosponsored the Immigration Innovation Act, S.153, (I-Squared), which was introduced in January 2015. Fortunately it still sits in committee.

(Keep in mind, this bill was introduced after Rubio’s Gang of Eight failed to “reform” immigration in 2013, which in reality would have allowed an unlimited number of migrants and immigrants into America. The Congressional Budget Office assessed it “would loosen or eliminate annual limits on various categories of permanent and temporary immigration. If [the bill] was enacted, CBO estimates, the U.S. population would be larger by about 10 million people in 2023 and by about 16 million people in 2033 than projected under current law.”)

Rubio’s second attempt at increasing unlimited immigrant numbers focuses specifically on five visa categories most often used by Muslim migrants. They include the F-1 foreign student visa, green cards for foreign students and their family members, the H-1B foreign worker visa and the H-4 spousal visa.

I-Squared would drastically amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which legally prevent Islamists from becoming citizens since 1952.

F-1 student visa data from the U.S. State Department indicates that, “in 2014 the U.S. issued more than 70,000 student visas to foreign nationals from predominantly Muslim countries, as well as more than an additional 56,000 student visas to India.”

In light of these numbers, consider just the country of India, for example. According to Pew Research, in 2013, 11 percent of the Muslim population in the world, the second largest in the world—roughly 176 million people—live in India. Muslims also account for 14 percent of India’s population. If 14 percent of the 56,000 F-1 student visas were given to Muslim Indian nationals in one year, and visa issuances mirrored India’s demographics, then it could be plausible that 78,000 Muslim Indians received F-1 student visas in one year.

Under existing law, an F-1 visa holder is considered, “an alien having a residence in a foreign country which he has no intention of abandoning” 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(F)(i). Existing law is based on the condition that the F-1 visa applicant is returning to his/her home country.

Under the current law, these roughly 78,000 Muslims would be returning to India after their schooling was finished.

If Zuckerberg and Rubio had their way, under I-Squared, returning to their home country would no longer be a condition of their F-1 visa.

Section 201 strikes INA’s language, “which he has no intention of abandoning” from its definition of the F-1 student visa—and expands the application process to include anyone who openly and explicitly states their intention to stay in America after completing their studies.

Additionally, Section 303 specifies that an unlimited number of foreign students would be able to acquire lifetime green cards—for themselves and their family members for their entire lives.

Zuckerberg and Rubio are advocating to expand a program, largely used by foreign Muslim students, to no longer be temporary, but also to allow unlimited, lifetime green cards and a path to citizenship for them and their families.

This in itself violates specifications outlined in INA’s Section 313 about exclusions for U.S. citizenship. {eoa}

Bethany Blankley is the senior editor for constitution.com. Her syndicated show, “America’s Betrayal,” can be heard on Conservative Review Radio, WAAR Radio and other talk radio stations. Her columns have been published by The Washington Times, Newsday, Western Journalism, Townhall, The Christian Post, Charisma News and others. She was a former communications strategist to four Senators, one Congressman, one New York governor and several nonprofits. She holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in Theology and Political Science. Follow her: @bethanyblankley & bethanyblankley.com.