ICE Has 'Incomplete Data' on Foreign Student Tech-Transfer Risks, GAO Says
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has “incomplete data” on whether certain foreign students pose technology transfer risks from U.S. schools to foreign entities, the Government Accountability Office said in a report this week. Although ICE has data on the number of graduate students, including from China, who pose tech transfer risks, the agency focuses its resources on “other priorities” and hasn’t looked to improve its data, which may be leading to information gaps about whether certain students have access to sensitive technology, GAO said. “Completing the assessment and improving student employment data could strengthen U.S. government efforts to identify and assess technology transfer risk.”
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GAO said ICE should establish “milestones to complete a required assessment of whether it needs to modify its database to collect additional data related to some risk factors.” ICE also should take steps to improve employer information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System or “otherwise update the records of foreign students.” GAO said ICE concurred with the recommendations.