Civic Engagement
State and federal lawmakers are setting new rules for how U.S. colleges and universities work with foreign scientists, students, and institutions
Since 2018, Congress and 23 states have introduced 158 bills that would restrict international scientific and academic engagement at U.S. colleges and universities. 24 have become law: 16 in 7 states and 8 in Congress. Activity peaked in 2025, with 46 bills introduced and 7 enacted. In 2026, lawmakers in 14 states took up new bills, 5 of them for the first time.
These policies limit how colleges and universities collaborate with foreign institutions, enroll foreign students, and hire foreign researchers and faculty. Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas have passed such laws, and Louisiana significantly expanded its law this year. Federal agencies have added their own limits through executive orders, rules, and conditions on research funding. In 2026, they proposed rules that would bar federal funds for many international collaborations and limit how long foreign students may study in U.S. programs.
Many of these policies name China directly or rely on federally defined lists that include it, such as “Foreign Adversaries.” As a result, they apply most directly to students and researchers who hold Chinese citizenship or have ties to China. Chinese American students, scholars, and faculty can also face added scrutiny, whatever their citizenship.
Policymakers that introduce these efforts maintain that they are needed to protect U.S. research from theft by foreign governments. Researchers have studied their effects on scientific output, on where scientists and students choose to work and study, and on the economy. One study estimates that proposed federal changes to student visas and work authorization could reduce international enrollment by about a third (Clemens et al. 2025).
Committee of 100 built this tracker so that policymakers, researchers, university leaders, and the Chinese American community can see in one place what these policies say, where they apply, and how they are changing. The tracker:
- Identifies new bills, laws, and executive actions at the state and federal levels, shown on the interactive map below.
- Classifies each policy by what it restricts, such as research partnerships, student enrollment, or faculty hiring.
- Follows each policy’s status as it moves from proposal to law to implementation.
Below the map, a summary of trends highlights what is new in 2026, and a research summary describes what studies have found about the effects of restricting international engagement and of keeping it open.
