{"id":57,"date":"2025-04-04T14:28:13","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T14:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/?p=57"},"modified":"2025-04-04T14:28:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T14:28:15","slug":"guidance-for-international-community-members","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/2025\/04\/04\/guidance-for-international-community-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Guidance for International Community Members"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- Inserted by Dropdownizer plugin. Forces video embeds contained in dropdowns to have a size --><style>.dropdownizer__dropdown iframe { width: 100% !important; height: 100% !important; }<\/style>\n<p>Dear all,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent days, we have seen news coverage of international students and faculty members being detained by federal immigration personnel. Community members from Tufts, Columbia, Brown, Georgetown, University of Minnesota, and other schools have been affected. The Secretary of State has reported that more than 300 student visas have been revoked. We have not experienced this directly at Vassar, but these actions affect us all. I want to clearly communicate that at Vassar we are resolutely committed to lawfully protecting all of our community members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/international-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Office of International Services<\/a>&nbsp;is an important resource on campus that can provide information for students. Andrew Meade, the Director of International Services and Assistant Dean of Student Growth and Engagement, has held information sessions and is available to meet individually with students who have questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have read reports of colleges being asked by the federal government for personally identifiable information. This has not happened at Vassar. Access to student education records, which are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), requires an arrest warrant, a search warrant, or other lawful court order to authorize disclosure. Vassar follows all legal requirements, including notifying students of external records requests when applicable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are approached by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, refer them to the Vassar General Counsel, Shay Humphrey at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:shumphrey@vassar.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shumphrey@vassar.edu<\/a>, or the Director of Campus Safety, Arlene Sabo at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:arsabo@vassar.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arsabo@vassar.edu<\/a>. If you are presented with a warrant, contact the Vassar General Counsel. Vassar will follow the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1_yitjqavITGHIOlf0EO7eMjzvyjaca9Ql4MfouwXVKU\/preview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Response to Subpoena or Warrant<\/a>\u00a0policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have consulted with immigration attorneys, and their recommendation is that green card holders and international students, faculty, and non-faculty employees should consult with an immigration attorney and carefully evaluate potential risks before making international travel plans. As we have witnessed, an individual\u2019s visa may be revoked, or a travel ban on a particular country imposed without notice. This could make re-entry into the US difficult or impossible in certain instances. U.S. Customs and Border Protection takes the position that travelers do not have a right to an attorney during inspections at U.S. border crossings and entry points; however, a traveler may make a request to contact their attorney, so it is helpful to ensure that you have that information when traveling. For international students who, due to such circumstances, are concerned about returning home during the summer, the Dean of College area will provide consultation and support regarding housing. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At points of entry to the U.S., a traveler\u2019s digital device (e.g., cell phone, tablet, computer) can be searched without a warrant. Anything found on a device can be used to deny or restrict entry or in a later proceeding against the individual. Immigration attorneys recommend that travelers cooperate during any search conducted at a point of entry, as consequences for failing to cooperate or unlock devices may ensue; however, travelers are cautioned against providing any unnecessary information or signing any documents without legal advice, during these searches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am actively working with lawmakers across the political spectrum in Washington, D.C., Additionally, we are collaborating with peer institutions and through associations like the American Council on Higher Education (ACE) and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). Nick Anderson, a former reporter covering higher education who is now at ACE advocating for higher ed, recently&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/nick-anderson-higher-education_higheredbuildsamerica-activity-7312132138752008192-YBiG?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAAEwGpnsB1dQlnimPB3HycekYq3QA_GldfaU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">posted to LinkedIn&nbsp;<\/a>about international students\u2014highlighting how much they bring to our schools and our country. I agree with his assessment, and in the midst of this perilous moment, I want to recognize international people throughout our community and underscore the irreplaceable contribution they make to our campus and to the United States overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have questions or specific concerns, let me know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elizabeth H. Bradley, President<br>Vassar College<br>Poughkeepsie, NY 12604<br><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ehbvassar\">@EHBVassar<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear all, In recent days, we have seen news coverage of international students and faculty members being detained by federal immigration personnel. Community members from Tufts, Columbia, Brown, Georgetown, University of Minnesota, and other schools have been affected. The Secretary of State has reported that more than 300 student visas have been revoked. We have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58,"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57\/revisions\/58"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/campus-climate-group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}