Updates

Chancellor's statements | Immigration | LGBTQ | - ALL -

On Thursday evening, February 9, the 9th Federal District Court in San Francisco unanimously denied an appeal by the U.S. government to lift a nationwide Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on the President’s Executive Action barring travel and related immigration benefits to citizens and nationals of 7 countries (Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Iraq) who have been directly affected by the recent action.

For the past week there has been tremendous uncertainty and disruption regarding the President’s January 27, 2017 Executive Action. As our Chancellor underscored a few days ago, UMass is absolutely committed to international education and the continued free flow of ideas, culture and people.

University of Massachusetts Amherst graduate student Mohsen Hosseini was welcomed back to the U.S. today by university officials at Logan International Airport, culminating a weeklong series of legal and other support in response to the president’s executive order seeking to restrict entry to the U.S. by citizens of seven countries.

Read the full letter sent by Governor Charles Baker to John F. Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security regarding immigration and refugee executive order.

In the week since I last wrote regarding the dramatic and unprecedented shifts in federal policy brought on by the presidential transition, the effects of President Trump’s executive order on immigration have been felt far and wide. With travelers stranded at airports, families separated, and our own international students and scholars facing unimaginable stress and uncertainty, I want to make it absolutely clear that I will do everything in my power to support and protect every member of our diverse campus community.

Speaking up for the citizens, academic institutions and businesses in Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura Healey today announced that her office is joining a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s Executive Order on immigration that bans individuals from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst, committed to the welfare and success of all members of its community, including more than 3,000 international students, scholars and staff from 117 countries, is providing outreach and support following the President’s Executive Order restricting entry to the U.S. by citizens of seven countries.

The University of Massachusetts, comprising 100,000 students, faculty and staff, is an international research university that extends the promise of American public higher education to thousands of international students and attracts faculty members from across the globe.

I want to offer a warm welcome back to campus to our students, faculty and staff. And to those of you who are new to UMass, we are pleased to have you join our lively and diverse campus community.

I welcome the sentiments expressed in the petition that was delivered to the UMass Amherst administration Wednesday, and want to assure our campus community that we will do everything within our legal and moral authority to protect our students, faculty and staff whether they be undocumented immigrants, refugees or international students. I and my administration are fully committed, as we always have been, to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for every member of our community, regardless of immigration status.

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