Take Action

International Student Advocacy

This Weekly action was put together by Catherine Cort (@cat_quart), leader of the El Paso, TX Pod, and was adapted from an International Student Advocacy Call to Action document published by Siobhan Dunne on 7/6/20.

Many of us are aware of the recent news impacting International Students in our community. On July 6th, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released modified guidance for the Fall 2020 semester stating that active international students (F-1 and M-1 visa holders) who are enrolled in schools and/or programs that have gone fully online (in response to the COVID-19 pandemic) for the fall must take measures to enroll in classes with in-person instruction or else face deportation. This announcement understandably caused great distress for many of our visa-holding friends, peers, and colleagues. And while some universities rushed to come up with solutions - none were sufficient, especially in the face of the increasing spread of coronavirus. 

On July 14th, the Federal government rescinded this order, likely due to pressure mounting from a lawsuit filed by Harvard University, MIT, and other institutions in the U.S. However, the fight to protect the rights and well-being of international students is far from over. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may still issue a modified rule that could negatively impact over 1 million international students in the U.S. and cause disproportionate health risks if they are forced to relocate and/or travel internationally during the global COVID-19 pandemic. This situation further highlights the unprecedented and stressful conditions faced by all those navigating the visa system in the United States. 

We recognize that international, binational and undocumented students are an integral part of our communities and deserve to have their rights protected - rather than at the mercy of abrupt and unreasonable policy changes that affect not only their education, but also their entire future and that of their families. We reject the exceptionalist narrative that people who enter the country “lawfully” are more deserving of care, protection and advocacy than those who have been systematically failed by “legal” immigration channels when they arrived, or who had no choice how they arrived in the country as children. NO human being is illegal, and ALL people in this country deserve safety and stability in the places they call “home”.

Take Action

For those holding the privilege of U.S. Citizenship, now is the moment to speak up for our international and binational friends, family members and colleagues. 

  • Send an email to contact your Federal or State Representatives. This call/email script has everything you need. Write a post and tag your Representatives on social media.

  • Calling has the most direct impact - take 5-10 mins to call and leave a voicemail or message at each office!

  • Contact Presidents and Administrators of your local Universities (especially if you are a tenured faculty member) asking them to take a clear stand against the influence of ICE on college campuses. Use this El Paso, TX - specific contact list for ideas on who to contact in your own community. 

If you are a student in need of support, we have put together a short list. 

  • Organizations

    • International & Immigrant Student Workers Alliance (IISWA): "We are a group of international and immigrant student workers across the United States committed to fighting for the rights and advocating for the interests of student workers who do not have the protections afforded by US citizenship, including those holding student visas, refugee or asylum status, or DACA/TPS status. We aim to secure improved work conditions and protections from discrimination by establishing networks of solidarity across campuses and student worker unions."

    • Sign their petition to Universities to support International and Immigrant Student Workers.

  • IISWA COVID-19 FAQ: "This document is intended to be a resource for international and immigrant students affected by the pandemic across institutions. The information it contains has been gleaned from various universities, many of whom are interpreting federal guidelines differently. It is a work in progress."

  • National Association for Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS - @NAGPS) and Student Advocacy for Graduate Education (SAGE @SAGECoalition) had launched a "#RescindtheRule" Campaign before the order was reversed.

  • Legal resources

Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash

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