Citizens of four countries — China, Iran, North Korea and Russia — will be unable to enter Los Alamos National Laboratory and other national labs due to new federal requirements signed into law at the end of the Biden administration.
The prohibition is expected to affect about 70 employees at Los Alamos, based on the lab’s estimate that about 0.4% of current staff are citizens of those countries. Additionally, it would prohibit visits by scientists and students from the four countries.
The most recent National Defense Authorization Act — the voluminous budget document for the Department of Defense — prohibits citizens of those nations from accessing national security labs or nuclear weapons production facilities in an effort to protect the U.S.’ “leading technological edge.â€
The restriction is waived for permanent residents of the United States or if the energy secretary or the nuclear security administrator completes a background review of an individual and certifies to Congress their visit is in the U.S.’ national security interest. However, no classified information will be shared with that person and the official must consult with other department heads to reduce risks.
In 2023, LANL employed around 15,900 people, and more than 1,100 are employed by contractors.
“We are in the process of complying with the law,†LANL spokesperson Laura Mullane wrote in an email.
It is unclear what compliance might look like for employees from those four nations. Mullane did not answer follow-up questions about whether they would be fired or if they could continue working remotely or when any action would be taken.
The staff members affected wouldn’t have been working on any classified projects at the lab. Employees from any other country, including lawful permanent residents of the United States, are not allowed to work on or access classified documents, Mullane wrote.
Beyond confirming the impact of the new law and noting LANL is working toward compliance, Mullane wrote she could provide no additional information “at this time.â€
Officials at Sandia National Laboratories, the Department of Defense and the Energy Department did not respond to requests for comment.
A June draft of the Intelligence Authorization Act included a proposal to limit visitation from citizens of China, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Cuba. In fiscal year 2023, similar legislation stated, “40,000 citizens of foreign countries, including 8,000 from China and Russia,†had visited a national laboratory. That draft was not adopted.
The goal of restricting access to national laboratories is to keep sensitive technologies from falling into the wrong hands.
“International cooperation in the field of science is critical to the United States maintaining its leading technological edge,†the June 2024 legislation said. Nonetheless, it added, Energy Department labs are “increasingly targeted by adversarial nations†to exploit those technologies for their militaries or economies.
But a memo about the Defense Authorization Act from the Office of the President dated June 11 warned limits on access could have unintended consequences on research.
“The provision would severely limit our ability to engage with Chinese and Russian experts on nonproliferation of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons,†the policy statement said. “The existing visitor-screening process at the national laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities are specifically designed to screen for visitor threats and prevent access to protected information.â€
State Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, said she had not heard of the new restrictions but was not surprised.
“It seems like there have been issues in the past where the United States had concerns about certain countries, and they would put restrictions,†she said.
“It was some years ago ... I can’t remember what exactly the issues were, but there were concerns about certain foreign nationals. People would express concern about those kinds of bans, or whatever you want to call them. I hope that, if it’s true, people start questioning them again as well,†she said.
In 1999, a report on Chinese espionage — which was criticized by some experts for a lack of evidence — spurred concern about security at national laboratories and resulted in the adoption of restrictions on visiting foreign scientists.
The New Mexican reported in June 1999 then-Energy Secretary Bill Richardson heard from Los Alamos lab employees about the restrictions, which he called “bad, wrong-headed measures.â€
One employee said the ban on visits from foreign scientists had “amputated†research capabilities.
Another, a Russian citizen, said he had taken a job at the University of New Mexico after the changes.
“I would love to stay in Los Alamos,†he said, according to the report. “But the grant I had is now off-limits because I had the misfortune of being born in another country.â€