Immigration News and Resources Archives - The Community Solution Education System

Update: Executive Order on Immigration

In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Trump administration’s travel ban can be fully enforced, TCS Education System renews our commitment to an education that transcends geographical borders.

How One Psychologist Didn’t Let the Fear of Striking Out Hold Him Back

This content originally appeared in Saybrook University’s UNBOUND Magazine, by Shamontiel Vaughn

As with any professional sport, an athlete in his 30s usually starts looking for other jobs because he knows his time is limited. In Patterson’s case, his baseball career ended early due to sports injuries—a torn rotator cuff, supraspinatus tendinitis, knee surgery, and back surgery.

“I couldn’t throw at all, but fortunately I could hit so I was still able to play in high school and I still played semi-professionally,” says Patterson, who played during the late ‘70s and ‘80s. “I think I played my last semi pro-game in 1989.”

But by that time he’d already shied away from putting all his eggs in one basket. Patterson became a school psychologist in 1984, was a part-time scout for the Major League Scouting Bureau (MLSB) for the next five years, and then a scout part-time for the Texas Rangers, while working on his doctorate degree at Saybrook.

“I knew that my baseball days had passed,” Patterson says. “You hear people call that Cubs player Grandpa Rossy, and he’s only 39. After baseball, I had to figure out what was I going to do. My bachelor’s degree was in psychology and pre-dentistry from the University of Illinois. My parents always stressed to me to have a good education as a backup plan in case I was injured. And Saybrook had the humanistic, holistic approach that fit my needs and that I strongly believe in.”

Read the full article

A Message on DACA Developments

The Trump Administration recently announced that it will sunset the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in six months, leaving Congress to find a legislative solution for undocumented immigrants in the country. Created in 2012, DACA enables approximately 800,000 undocumented youth who entered the country as minors to receive a two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit.

As we closely monitor these unfolding events, TCS Education System continues to support both the global advancement of knowledge and cooperation as well as the individual members of our community. Our Office of the General Counsel and the Global Engagement team have partnered with the broader TCS Education System academic community to monitor the situation.

If you have specific questions, please contact Jennifer Fullick, Director of Global Engagement or visit our Global Impact resource site for updates.

We maintain an unwavering commitment to advancing student success and community impact—with inclusion and diversity as central components of our mission. Each of our System institutions will stay in close communication with their communities as DACA developments unfold.

Michael Horowitz, Ph.D.

President, TCS Education System

Immigration Executive Order: Updates

On January 27, 2017, President Donald J. Trump signed the Executive Order: Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States. Since then, we have reiterated our commitment to advancing student success and community impact regardless of country of origin or religious beliefs. We continue to closely follow the executive order signed by the U.S. President, and will continue to provide updates. Also, please click here to find resources and frequently asked questions.

UPDATE June 27, 2017

On Monday, June 26, 2017 the Supreme Court decided that it will hear the government’s appeal of two lower court decisions that blocked enforcement of Executive Order No. 13780, Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States. The cases will be heard during the Court’s October Term 2017.

In its decision, the Court also ruled to partially lift the injunctions and permit some parts of the Executive Order to take effect immediately. If you recall, the Executive Order includes a 120-day suspension of entry for all refugees and a 90-day ban on entry to the U.S. for nationals of six foreign states: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Pursuant to the Court’s ruling, refugees and foreign nationals from the designated states can be denied entry to the U.S. if they “lack any bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.”

The Court provided some examples of bona fide relationships that qualify a foreign national for entry into the U.S., including students admitted to study at a university in the U.S., a worker who accepted an offer of employment, a lecturer invited to address an American audience, and a foreign national seeking entry to live with or visit a family member. A bona fide relationship must be a documented, credible claim, but it is too early to know the types of documentation required or the manner of providing proof of a bona fide relationship.

In light of today’s Court action, we encourage members of the community from the designated foreign states to exercise caution in traveling outside of the United States. There may be travel delays as a result of the need to produce acceptable documentation and the review by immigration officials.

As a community of higher educational institutions committed to global cooperation and social justice, we welcome our international community members and will continue to support and embrace their presence in our schools.

UPDATE March 16, 2017

Two key portions of the executive order on Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States scheduled to go into effect on March 16, 2017 have been temporarily stayed from enforcement nationwide by courts in Hawaii and Maryland. Both stays apply to the 90 day bar on entry to the U.S. of nationals from the six designated states of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen and Hawaii’s stay also extends to the 120-day suspension of entry for refugees. The actions taken by the courts mean that nationals from the six named countries as well as refugees will continue to be admitted to the U.S. pursuant to the laws, rules, and procedures pre-dating the recent executive orders. As the Hawaii and Maryland cases evolve and other cases emerge throughout the U.S., we will keep you updated of the status of immigration enforcement in the U.S.

UPDATE March 8, 2017

The March 6 executive order on Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States is similar in content to the previous executive order, issuing a temporary travel ban for nationals from a confined list of countries and suspending entry of refugees. The new order provides more guidance to aid immigration officials to utilize their discretion to issue exceptions or waivers in cases where they deem there to be no threat to national security. This new order revokes and replaces Executive Order 13769 in its entirety, effective March 16, 2017.

There will be a 90-day ban on entry to the U.S. for nationals of six states: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen. The order does not ban Iraqi nationals, they will be subject to heightened scrutiny in the issuance of visas and grants of admission to the U.S.
There are exceptions to the ban for nationals of the six states who are lawful permanent residents of the U.S., dual nationals traveling on a passport from a non-designated country, and others authorized to be admitted through means such as asylum, refugee status, or diplomacy.
Immigration officials are also empowered to issue waivers to the ban in their discretion on a case-by-case basis. Generally, waivers are permitted when the person has a long-term tie to the U.S. through work, study, or family and is seeking re-entry. A waiver may also be appropriate when a person is in need of urgent medical care or is carrying out activities supported by a foreign nation or international organization.
During the travel ban, the federal government will be reviewing the screening and vetting standards for all immigration programs to develop a uniform standard. We can expect more rigorous screening of visa applicants which will likely include interviews for future visa applicants from nations perceived as a threat.
There will also be a 120-day suspension of entry for all refugees.

Please refer to this page for updated information and resources on how this affects faculty, students, and staff. Our Global Engagement team will continue to closely monitor ongoing changes that impact our community. Please join us for our informational session open to all members of our community regarding the Executive Order and related resources on March 30, as listed under Resources & FAQ below.

UPDATE February 15, 2017

As of February 9, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth District upheld an earlier judge’s decision to temporarily block enforcement of the executive order on immigration. At this time, further legal action for this order will continue, and this is not the final decision on the executive order. While this news was a step in a hopeful new direction, we continue to anticipate new developments, and have developed a centralized location for our resources related to the issue and will update as new information becomes available. These resources include FAQs and focuses primarily on the executive orders on immigration. We also provide resources for other issues, such as those related to refugee status and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, immigration and mental health resources, and resources for supporting students within the classroom. At this time, each day continues to unfold and bring about changes, and the future is yet unknown. The outpouring of concern, support and patience shown by our community is inspiring. Please feel free to share our resources page and if you have additional suggestions for resources, please share them with Global Engagement. Jenn Fullick, our Director of Global Enrollment and Kathie Henn in our Office of the General Counsel serve our central support team to support members of the TCS Community as we navigate changes to our country’s immigration policies. Please look forward to updates from Jenn and Kathie as appropriate.

Response to Executive Order on Immigration

Dear TCS Colleagues,

On the heels of this weekend’s Executive Order to restrict U.S. entry to citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, all of us at TCS would like to take a moment to underscore our unwavering mission to advance student success and community impact – regardless of country of origin or religious beliefs.

TCS was founded on the belief that we can synergistically impact both communities and students through education. Our institutions have been drawing people together from around the world, both physically and virtually to create a culture of understanding and acceptance for many years. We experienced the power of this firsthand recently, when students, faculty, and administrators from across our institutions convened in Germany to create a global environment of cross-disciplinary learning.

TCS colleges are currently working with each other and the Office of Global Engagement to examine our collective role as a system committed to leveraging radical cooperation to affect meaningful social change.

The wealth of diverse perspectives across our entire system of colleges enriches all of us, makes TCS The Community Solution in Higher Education, and fuels our ability to nurture global agents of change that have the power to change the world. The very foundation of our community was built on inclusion and radical cooperation – and it endures even more resolutely as we remain committed to welcoming international students, exposing students to profound international experiences, and supporting refugees and immigrants in our communities. We will continue to support all TCS colleges with maintaining their own steadfast commitment to students and inclusive global engagement.

Sincerely,

Michael Horowitz