TSA to MIT Oceanography students: you are a "security threat"
Some oceanographer friends of mine were encouraged to apply for TWIC cards so that they could access research vessels in port without escorts. Because they're, y'know, researchers.Link (Thanks, Neil!)That's not how the TSA rolls, though, and they received nice letters on TSA letterhead explaining that "I have determined that you pose a security threat."
It's a good thing we found this out now, before the NSF, MIT, and WHOI agreed to pay tens of thousands of dollars a year for them to study here.
So let's review:
* Foreign students on F-1 visas are under no circumstances eligible for TWIC cards, even if they have a legitimate need to access US ports and research vessels.
* They shouldn't worry though, because anybody who has a TWIC card can still escort them (or anybody else) into "restricted" areas. Even though the TSA doesn't trust you, as long as someone they do trust trusts you, that's good enough.
* When the agency that's responsible for inspecting your shoes and liquids at the airport calls you a security threat, you shouldn't worry: it's not like there could possibly be far-reaching repercussions.I feel better already.
the latest
latest episodes
Yes, because port lands in Boston are totally easy to come by let alone the cost of facilities to dock and maintain research vessels. I don't think this is really excusable. We can provide the required credentials to truckers, longshoremen and port employees but students are an unreasonable security risk? It's also strange that student F-1 visas are not permissible and we all know there are no foreign nationals working in ports, valid work visa or not. Not a single one.
I think accommodations can be made here to allow this research to go on.
@ken hansen (#1)
Students aren't special? I think you're confusing these students with some kind of strange grudge against students with entitlement complexes or inflated egos. Students aren't special on some broad, over-arching level but there are some ways that, yes, they could be construed as special. In fact, one of those ways would be having a $65,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for your research. It's not like these are random kids with no legitimate purpose just asking for special credentials they don't deserve.
Good. Good. Al Qaeda needs more oceanographers. I'm glad to hear that we're not neglecting the sciences in our recruitment efforts. We should work on pissing off some nuclear physicists next.
But on the plus side, getting a TWIC card makes you a little deputy of the law, deciding who goes in and out. Maybe it should come in the shape of a little tin star badge.
"She [TSA's Ellen Howe] said she did not *believe* the denial letters would cause students any problems with visa renewal or airport security checks..."
Wow, *that* is certainly reassuring. Yes we labeled you a security threat in an official letter, but we're kinda sorta pretty gosh darn sure that might not cause you any problems down the road.
Hmm...maybe they could get a TWIKI card instead?
Meaning if they were granted TWIC cards, they could then escort whoever they wanted.
My workplace doesn't require TWI cards yet, but when they do I can't imagine I'll be allowed to bring in whoever I want. That would just be ridiculous...
Ken,
No large blocks of boldface type, please. It makes your comment harder to read and looks a lot like yelling.
Most comments have neglected to note that for the students in question, "port" includes their home base, i.e. the docking area of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI). It's a huge inconvenience to not have your research assistant be able to run ashore to grab something.
Also, note that the designation "security threat" in the US means that it automatically brands the WHOI international students as being suspicious to the TSA, even when they're not near their ships. Yeah, because clearly these oceanographers are more worthy of airport searches because they applied for a TWIC.
The article in MIT's The Tech is more thorough:
http://www-tech.mit.edu/V128/N25/whoi.html
I see that Ken Hansen still believes that the TSA can do no wrong.
Ken quotes the TSA:
(Emphasis added.)Ken:
More from the TSA:
Perhaps they should also try and establish a way to do oceanography without using a "vessel". I hope those students are very strong swimmers.
(The exceptions only apply to passenger vessels and ferries, so claiming that WHOI should just "define secure areas" is a non-starter.)
As for your suggestion that they be made employees: they're on student visas, so I'm not sure that they can be "employed" as such. I'm also less convinced than you are that "employee" is some kind of back-door password to the approval process....