[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 23, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H4431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS

  (Mr. CONNOLLY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the 
international students and the U.S. institutions of higher education 
they attend. They have been unfairly penalized by the Trump 
administration through unconstitutional and illegal immigration 
executive orders.
  I urge my colleagues and the administration to recognize the vital 
contribution these international students make to our country. 
International students who spend time in the United States become 
ambassadors when they return home, sharing an appreciation of our 
values, counteracting stereotypes about Americans and the United 
States, and enhancing respect for cultural differences and democratic 
norms.
  International students contribute to the economic well-being of the 
United States. According to the Association of International Educators, 
during the last academic year, international students and their 
families supported 400,000 jobs and contributed $33 billion to our 
domestic economy. In my district alone, 4,978 international students 
and families contributed $137 million to our local economy, supporting 
1,725 jobs.
  Actions taken by this administration and this President have 
generated a great deal of fear and uncertainty within academia. It 
hurts America. I urge us to support more international students to come 
to our country.

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