MT. PLEASANT, Mich. — Central Michigan University officials say visa records of some current and former international students have been terminated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The information was shared in an email sent to students, faculty and staff on Friday.
Officials say this was discovered during routine reviews of the 'Student and Exchange Visitor Information System,' and that neither the university nor impacted students were alerted about the status changes.
"CMU does not have the ability to reverse the government's decision to terminate a student's visa status, nor can the university's Office of General Counsel provide legal guidance or services to individual students, faculty, and staff," the email reads.
Going forward, CMU's Office of International Student and Scholar Services will review student records daily, and inform affected students of any changes to their status.
Read the full email below:
Dear students, faculty and staff,
This week, during routine reviews of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), CMU staff learned that several current and former international student SEVIS records had been terminated by the United States Department of Homeland Security. Neither the university nor the impacted students had received any notification of the status changes.
Based on reports from Inside Higher Education, the Chronicle of Higher Education and numerous news media outlets, we know this revocation is happening to hundreds of international students at colleges and universities nationwide. This news is alarming and may be especially difficult for our international students, faculty and staff, who are valuable, important members of our community.
CMU does not have the ability to reverse the government's decision to terminate a student's visa status, nor can the university's Office of General Counsel provide legal guidance or services to individual students, faculty, and staff. This situation is evolving quickly, and we are committed to doing all we can to support our university community. Here's what we are able to share at this time – we will update the community as we learn more.
What International Students Need to Know Now
CMU's Office of International Student and Scholar Services will continue to review student records daily; they will notify impacted students immediately if they find a change in their status.
While CMU cannot provide recommendations to choose a specific immigration attorney, the American Immigration Lawyers Association provides a list of immigration attorneys under its resources tab; students also can contact the branch of Legal Aid for our area, Legal Services of Eastern Michigan, at 1-800-322-9142 or online at lsem-mi.org. We encourage students whose visa status changes to find and contact an immigration attorney immediately for guidance.
What Faculty and Staff Need to Know
This may be a frightening time for international students at CMU, and faculty and staff can play a role in offering compassionate support; however, that support should stop short of providing legal guidance to students. If an international student reaches out to you for help, please encourage them to use the American Immigration Lawyers Association list of attorneys, available on their resources page, or Legal Services of Eastern Michigan, our area's branch of Legal Aid, to find an immigration lawyer who can provide them with clear, appropriate legal counsel.
You also may direct students to the Counseling Center for emotional support and self-care resources; to Academic Advising for academic support; and to the Office of International Student and Scholar Services in 330 Ronan Hall. We recognize that this may be a difficult time for students, so please encourage them to take advantage of resources that can help; reach out to the CMU CARES team if you believe a student needs additional support.
Next steps
To date, we have had no reports of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection officers on our campus; please review CMU's guidance related to ICE on the Federal Policy, Order and Directive Updates webpage.
To our international students, faculty, and staff: You are welcome here, and we are glad to have you as members of our community. In uncertain times, we rely on our friends, colleagues, and neighbors to help us weather challenges. Thank you in advance for offering compassion and kindness to our students and to each other as we navigate these changes.
With gratitude,
Neil MacKinnon, Ph.D., president
Paula Lancaster, Ph.D., provost
University of Michigan joins CMU in reporting visas canceled for some international students
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