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.
