Oscar Tshiebwe meets with Mitch McConnell to push for federal immigration law change
Oscar Tshiebwe is taking his quest for equal name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for foreign students to Washington. According to Matt Jones, Kentucky’s big man met with Mitch McConnell and Joe and Kelly Craft today in hopes of persuading the Senator to join the fight for new federal legislation regarding players on F-1/student visas.
Under the current law, international student-athletes like Oscar cannot “work,” meaning they cannot do commercials, photoshoots, paid public appearances, autograph tours, etc. to enjoy the full benefits of their name, image, and likeness. Oscar and his team of agents and advocates have found ways for him to earn money off his likeness, like his line of merchandise with Kentucky Branded, but until the law changes or there is clarity from the Department of Homeland Security on what foreign students may do, he is only making a fraction of what he could.
Coming off a record-breaking season at Kentucky, Oscar’s NIL potential is huge if the restrictions are removed. He led Kentucky in scoring (17.4 PPG), rebounding (15.1 RPG), steals (1.8 SPG), and blocks (1.6 BPG); won all six National Player of the Year awards; and quickly developed a bond with the Big Blue Nation that may go unmatched, especially if he returns for a senior season.
Kentucky House passed F-1 student-athlete resolution in March
The meeting comes about a month after the Kentucky House passed a resolution to encourage new federal legislation regarding F-1 students. The resolution doesn’t have any real power, but John Calipari hopes it will prompt federal lawmakers or Homeland Security to take action.
“The other thing that passed today, a resolution! And again, bipartisan! For F-1 students,” Calipari said on March 7. “Do you all know what an F-1 student is? Foreign students. Foreign students cannot share in the name, image, and likeness. You say, ‘Why?’ Because Ronald Reagan in 1986 passed a bill that you can come over and be a student, but you can’t work. If you work, you can work 20 hours on your campus. You can’t do an internship unless it’s in your field, no off-campus.”
“Homeland Security can make a statement that they can clarify what an F-1 student can do,” Calipari added. “What if he’s a cellist and he goes to Carnegie Hall and he plays? Then that cello company wants him to endorse it. You can’t, you can’t do anything that’s work. It becomes (about) if they’ll clarify it. If not, it is going to take a federal law. And I’ll be honest with you, what we’re doing is protecting our student-athletes until a federal bill gets passed.”
As we reported yesterday, Oscar’s NIL situation is getting better as his team finds ways to work around the current restrictions; however, new federal legislation would fix the problematic law once and for all and prevent future generations from encountering these obstacles. Pulling in one of the most powerful men in Washington can only help.
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