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TV Parasuram in Washington
In the aftermath of September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States is all set to tighten surveillance of foreign students in the country, which may involve use of private agencies, even as foreign students fear that such a move could lead to undue harassment.
According to a The Wall Street Journal report, background check companies and gun-toting bounty hunters are just two of the businesses vying for contracts from the Immigration and Naturalization Service to help track foreign students who come to the US on student visas.
The report said that the INS has not specified the precise systems it hopes to build, though an INS spokesman was quoted as saying that it plans to upgrade its limited student database.
Although the foreign students are already under scrutiny by the FBI, the US, following the September 11 attacks, wants to make sure that those who come to the country on student visas, actually enrol and leave the country when their visa expires, unless it is renewed or replaced by another visa.
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