Cornell is a diverse and global university.

2/03/2017

Immigration Order: Updates and Resources

Cornell University Interim President Hunter Rawlings, in a January 29, 2017 statement regarding U.S. President Trump's January 27 executive order on immigration (read the complete text of the statement):

“U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order imposing a 90-day ban on immigrant and nonimmigrant entry to the United States from seven predominantly Muslim nations is deeply troubling and has serious and chilling implications for a number of our students and scholars. It is fundamentally antithetical to Cornell University’s principles.

Ours is a diverse and global university. More than a fifth of our students are from countries outside the United States, and our students and faculty are involved in programs and partnerships around the world. Over the last few days we have been in regular contact with our community members who are directly impacted by the executive order, including students on our Ithaca campus; students, postdoctoral fellows, clinical trainees, and faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City; and students at Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar. We are offering to each our assistance and unwavering support. Cornell will not compromise its admissions and hiring standards of excellence and will continue to solicit, accept, and process applications from international students from around the world, including from the impacted countries.”

Cornell Resources in Support of Our International Community

Urgent Needs Related to the Executive Order on Immigration

If you are an international student or scholar traveling abroad and are not permitted to return to the United States, call Cornell's International Students and Scholars Office at 607-255-5243 during regular business hours (8:30 am to 4:30 pm EST). During non-business hours, call the Cornell Police at 607-255-1111; they will notify an ISSO staff member immediately.
ISSO is working directly with Congressional staff on individual case management related to visas and entry into the United States. To speak with a staff member directly, email ISSO@cornell.edu.
ISSO assists international students, academic staff, and their families by advising on U.S. federal immigration and other issues, and through web resources, information sessions, and events. They also provide counseling on personal, academic, and cultural matters. To speak with a staff member directly, email ISSO@cornell.edu.

Assistance While Traveling Abroad

Cornell provides a free assistance program to all students, faculty, and staff traveling on university business 100 miles or more away from their permanent residence or campus. Cornellians can access this assistance from UnitedHealthcare with their netID through Cornell's Travel Registry.

Legal Assistance

Clinical faculty at Cornell Law School will provide—without charge—legal assistance to Cornell students who are denied visas under the Executive Order of Friday, January 27, 2017. Specifically, Cornell Law School faculty will consult with those students about their legal options, represent them if they need to seek waivers from the Order's restrictions, and make themselves available telephonically during student arrivals at U.S. ports of entry. For assistance, contact Beth Lyon, clinical professor of law, Cornell Law School: email beth.lyon@cornell.edu, call 484-802-3548, or Skype: lyonbeth.
A dedicated team of Cornell Law School faculty also will offer legal assistance in the form of representation for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students in potential deportation proceedings, should the need arise. There would be costs associated with this special legal representation service for DACA students, and a legal representative fund will be seeking contributions.
The Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School is a not-for-profit group that believes everyone should be able to read and understand the laws that govern them, without cost. They publish law online, and create materials that help people understand the law.

Information and Counseling

Cornell's International Students and Scholars Office assists international students, academic staff, and their families by advising on U.S. federal immigration and other issues, and through web resources, information sessions, and events. They also provide counseling on personal, academic, and cultural matters. To speak with a staff member directly, email ISSO@cornell.edu.
Cornell's Office of Graduate Student Life serves the Cornell community in many capacities: discussing student concerns, providing available resources and services, and sharing options to handle difficult academic and personal situations. Contact Janna Lamey (janna.lamey@cornell.edu) to help identify appropriate resources.
The staff in Cornell's Dean of Students office is available for support, advice, guidance, and consultation navigating various circumstances. Contact dean_of_students@cornell.edu or 607-255-1115 to be connected with a resource.
Cornell's Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives offers general advising on personal and academic support, as well as planning for future academic and professional aims and referrals specifically for undocumented students as part of the trailblazers program.
Cornell's Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives also maintains a webpage with resources for undocumented students at Cornell University.
Counseling and Psychological Services, or CAPS (including the Let’s Talk Program), is a confidential place to talk with a trained health-care professional about any concern. This may include stress, loneliness, anxiety, depression, adjustment challenges, relationship difficulties, questions about identity, managing an existing mental health condition, or other issues. Please call CAPS at 607-255-5155 to speak with a staff member directly.
Cornell's Faculty and Staff Assistance Program offers free and confidential guidance and support to benefits-eligible employees and their partners to address issues that may be affecting their personal lives and/or job satisfaction or performance. This confidential resource is part of Cornell's broad commitment to foster and support the mental health and well-being of the campus community.

Get Involved

Wednesday, February 8, at 6 pm in Myron Taylor Hall, room 186: Islamaphobia in the U.S.: This Muslim-American Life Under Donald Trump, a talk by Moustafa Bayoumi, professor of English, Brooklyn College
Monday, February 13, from 9:00 to 10:30 am: UndocuCornell: Understanding and Supporting Undocumented Students, sponsored by Cornell's Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives

Recent Statements of Support for International Education and Research

Interim President Hunter Rawlings explains that the university will continue to honor its commitments to all our current and future Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) undergraduate and graduate students. While it is still unclear how the DACA program will be impacted by Trump administration decisions, our commitments to these students remain firm.
In his Statement on the Immigration Executive Order, Dean Eduardo Peñalver says that the Cornell Law School stands ready to support our students, faculty, and staff.
A statement by Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels makes it clear that "In this historic moment, when universities such as ours find our fundamental mission imperiled by an executive order that erodes our core values and the founding principles of the nation, we cannot stand by."
A statement by the executive director of Scholars at Risk emphasizes that the organization stands "ready to work with state, higher education, and civil society stakeholders everywhere to promote values [of academic freedom] and protect threatened scholars."

Information from Cornell University Affiliated Organizations

Other Resources

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a new toll-free, 24/7 NYS hotline to help protect refugees and report individuals believed to be missing or detained: 888-769-7243.
Travel ban update from Miller Mayer Attorneys at Law, Ithaca, NY

For more information, contact Laurie Damiani, Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs: vpia@cornell.edu.