Fox News Channel - Transcript

Interview

Fox News Channel - Transcript

MS. HILL: Two foreign-born college students were pulled over in their car earlier this year. Turns out that car was packed with explosives, and one of the students has been charged with trying to help terrorists. We know that two of the 9/11 hijackers came here on student visas.

Right now, there are more than 500,000 foreigners in America on student visas. And while it doesn't mean any of them would do the same thing, it does raise the question, do we really know who we're letting into our country and what they're doing once they get here?

One congressman is trying to get the government to keep closer tabs on them. Joining us now is Florida Congressman Gus Bilirakis. Thank you for being with us.

REP. BILIRAKIS: Oh, my pleasure, E.D. Thanks for having me on.

MS. HILL: Here's something that is troubling, and it's a large number of students who come in on a foreign visa and never show up for class. How do we find them?

REP. BILIRAKIS: That's a real problem, but I think we need to screen them before we even let them over here because sometimes they have bad intentions and we can't have that happen. Just like what you said, in my area, in home district, where the two college students were up to trouble -- and we need to monitor them, obviously, once they get here. But if we don't allow them here in the first place, that would be even better.

MS. HILL: So what is being done? Because I understand that one of those college students that was picked up in your area had a criminal background already, and yet he got a student visa to come here and roam free.

REP. BILIRAKIS: And that -- and that's unacceptable. It's definitely unacceptable. What we're trying to do is get DHS more involved.

I'm going to file legislation next week to make sure that DHS gets more involved, background checks -- look into their background, go into their neighborhoods and find out what's in their minds because we can't afford this to happen again.

MS. HILL: I understand that you asked the secretary of Homeland Security exactly what types of crimes would keep a person from getting a student visa. Have you gotten answers to your questions?

REP. BILIRAKIS: I haven't gotten an answer to that question. I have not, so --

MS. HILL: So we really don't know.

REP. BILIRAKIS: We really don't know. And I want to file this legislation -- I've discussed this with the president as well, and I'm going to work with the White House on this. But we need to file this legislation and get it through. Most definitely, it's needed.

And we need to monitor the students when they get here, make sure they're attending the classes, make sure -- I mean, maybe they enroll and then leave and they have bad intentions. It's unacceptable.

MS. HILL: Do you have any idea or does anyone have any idea exactly how many of these foreign students who have come in initially on a legal visa are here and not attending classes or have overstayed their visa?

REP. BILIRAKIS: I don't think we've kept good track of that. I really don't think that DHS has kept good track of that. I've asked that question as well.

MS. HILL: And you don't get the answers?

REP. BILIRAKIS: Yeah, I don't get answers. That's why I'm filing this legislation. We need to do more.

MS. HILL: Well, that's scary. I can ask questions and not get answers, but, you, you're a congressman and you're not getting any answers either.

REP. BILIRAKIS: That's right. This is my first -- this is my first year and I'm on the Homeland Security Committee, and that's why we're filing this legislation. We have to enforce it. If they're not here for the right reasons, they need to leave.

MS. HILL: All right. Well, you know what? You raise -- raise a ruckus there.

REP. BILIRAKIS: It's a good program.

MS. HILL: We need changes, okay?

REP. BILIRAKIS: It's a good program, but there are a lot of people that have bad intentions, and we have to stop them. And I will raise a ruckus.

MS. HILL: Okay, good.

REP. BILIRAKIS: Thanks for having me on.

MS. HILL: We appreciate it. And please keep updating us on the status once you introduce that legislation next week.

REP. BILIRAKIS: I sure will.

MS. HILL: Representative Gus Bilirakis, Republican Florida congressman, thank you.

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