University of Wisconsin students gathered on Bascom Hill Tuesday to demonstrate their opposition to what they call a new “surveillance tax” imposed on international students.

Mike Quieto, president of the Teaching Assistants’ Association, the group that organized the event, said Tuesday’s rally was intended to show that U.S. students are aware of the new tax.

“We won’t let the university target international students just because it’s politically convenient,” Quieto said.

Immediately following the rally, students and faculty members addressed their concerns regarding the new policy at a University-sponsored listening session in Bascom Hall.

The SEVIS cost is a special fee targeted at international students, covering the costs of a federally mandated tracking system, called the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, that monitors international students and scholars for the newly founded Office of Homeland Security.

President George W. Bush’s USA Patriot Act set up SEVIS, an internet-based system, which allows schools and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to exchange data on the visa status of international students.

Under SEVIS, international students can be deported or denied re-entry into the United States for infractions such as dropping courses during the semester or leaving the country without prior permission from the UW. If deported, whether for family obligations or academic business, foreign students cannot file an appeal or legal defense.

On April 1, in reaction to the cost of maintaining the SEVIS system, UW announced a $100 to $125 per year cost to international students to help with this maintenance.

Over the past month, students have expressed outrage with the new fee.

UW sophomore John Nook believes the university, not foreign students, is responsible for increased security measures.

“If safety is really an issue, they (UW) should foot the bill themselves,” Nook said.

Many teaching assistants were in attendance at Tuesday’s protest.

Matt Nichter, a graduate student and TA in the sociology department, said that the university made a poor decision by charging international students.

Nichter believes UW handled implementation of the U.S. government’s SEVIS program inadequately.

“First of all, it is ridiculous that the university is conducting a listening session after imposing the fee,” Nichter said. “None of the international students have anything to do with security; why should they pay for the U.S. government to spy on them?”

Pablo Mitnik, a sociology graduate student and TA, said the tax is highly discriminatory against foreign students, because their tuition pays for many special services that they are excluded from participating in.

“There are many special services, such as the McBurney Center and student loans, but UW doesn’t charge the special populations for them,” Mitnik said.

“As international students, we can never use the study-abroad services and cannot receive student loans, but we are not complaining. Just don’t charge us extra,” he said. “Nobody would ever think of charging disabled people. It’d be crazy.”