Updates Regarding Federal 2017 Immigration Changes

University Guidance Regarding U.S. Supreme Court Order, Dec. 5, 2017

The U.S. Supreme Court issued orders Monday (Dec. 4) lifting the injunctions that two federal judges issued blocking enforcement of parts of President Trump’s third travel ban. The justices did not explain their decisions, noting only that the respective appellate courts had agreed to hear the cases on an expedited basis; as a result, they expected that each would “render its decision with appropriate dispatch.”

As it happens, oral arguments on each case are scheduled for this week. After the appellate courts rule, the possibility (even likelihood) exists that one or both decisions will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Given the considerable fluidity of the situation, the university continues to advise individuals from the countries cited in the third ban* to consult with the appropriate offices before travelling outside the United States. For students, that office is the Center for International Affairs, and for faculty and staff, the Office of Human Resources; see the "Urgent Question?" section for contact details).

*Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen and Somalia

University Guidance Regarding Federal Judicial Orders, Oct. 18, 2017

Hours after a federal judge in Hawaii largely halted enforcement of President Trump’s most recent travel ban, another in Maryland issued his own ruling against it this morning. White House officials have said they will appeal the rulings to reinstate the ban, including appealing the issue all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Originally scheduled to go into effect today, the White House’s Sept. 24 order involved selected categories of individuals from Syria, Libya, Iran, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea, as well as Venezuelan government officials and their families.

The two federal rulings varied in scope, but in both instances did not entirely block the implementation of the order for North Korea or Venezuela. The U.S. State Department said today that it had notified embassies and consulates to continue current processes for the other countries cited in the order.

Given the number of changes that have taken place regarding immigration from certain countries since the president’s initial Jan. 27 order, the university continues to advise caution for those from affected countries. Specifically, university officials recommend that members of the campus community considering travel outside the U.S. contact the office appropriate for their status (for students, the Center for International Affairs, and for faculty and staff, the Office of Human Resources; see the "Urgent Question?" section for contact details).

University Guidance Regarding New Executive Order on Travel Restrictions, Sept. 29, 2017

Last Sunday (Sept. 24), the White House announced it would replace its existing Executive Order on Immigration with restrictions and enhanced vetting of nationals from eight countries. The new standards take effect Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Case Western Reserve continues to support and value our international students, staff, and faculty. We provide the following guidance in light of the new restrictions.

Individuals from the countries listed below should be aware of the new policies and their potential effects. For guidance regarding an individual international student's situation, please contact the Center for International Affairs at international@case.edu or visit its offices in Room 143 of Tomlinson Hall.

Those with questions regarding international faculty or staff should contact Mark.Murray1@case.edu or call 216.368.4289. After hours, faculty, staff and students should call CWRU Dispatch at 216.368.3333. Dispatch will then contact on-call staff in Human Resources, the Office of General Counsel, or International Student Services.

Countries listed in the new Executive Order

Iran: Campus community members from Iran should be aware that entry into the U.S. by all Iran nationals will be suspended indefinitely as of Oct. 18, except for those who have valid student and exchange visitor visas (F, M, and J visas); however, those on these visas should be aware that during travel into the U.S. and visa renewal, they will be subject to enhanced screening and vetting procedures.

Iraq: Campus community members should be aware that during travel into the U.S. and visa renewal, they will be subject to enhanced screening and vetting procedures.  

North Korea: Entry into the U.S. by all North Korean nationals will be suspended indefinitely as of Oct. 18. We recommend that individuals from North Korea refrain from international travel at this time.

Somalia: Campus community members from Somalia should be aware that during travel into the US and visa renewal, they will be subject to enhanced screening and vetting procedures. 

Syria: Entry into the U.S. by all Syrian nationals will be suspended indefinitely as of Oct. 18. We recommend that individuals from Syria refrain from international travel at this time.

In addition, campus community members from Chad, Libya, Venezuela, and Yemen may also be affected by the new travel restrictions, and therefore should consult with international affairs or human resources prior to international travel or visa renewal.

The Travel Restrictions do not apply to:

• Lawful Permanent Residents
• Dual nationals who travel on the passport of the non-designated country
• Individuals with diplomatic visas, visas or other travel documents valid on Oct. 18
• Individuals who are admitted/paroled into the U.S. on or after Oct. 18; and
• Individuals who have been granted asylum, refugee status, or withholding of removal, advance parole or protection under the Convention Against Torture.

A case-by-case waiver is available to individuals who can show that denial of entry would cause undue hardship to the individual, that their entry would not pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety, and that their entry would be in the national interest.

That said, individuals should be aware that the U.S. Government has reserved the right to review and revise the travel restrictions at any time as it deems necessary. The university will update the campus community as developments warrant.

From the President and Provost Regarding Today's DACA Announcement, Sept. 5, 2017

To the Faculty, Staff and Students of Case Western Reserve University:

In the wake of today’s White House announcement regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, we want to assure our campus community of two points:

1. Dreamers are welcome here.
2. We oppose ending DACA, and will urge members of Congress to continue the program in the strongest possible terms.

DACA allows individuals to overcome legal obstacles never of their making. These people came to the United States as infants or children—many know no other country but ours. The program allows them to remain here to work, serve in the military, or attend college. Since it began, nearly 800,000 Dreamers have been able to pursue opportunities that will enable them to contribute to our country without fear of deportation.

We have seen firsthand the exceptional benefits of the growing international nature of our campus. We will continue to increase our global engagement, and embrace people of all racial, ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic and international backgrounds.

Earlier this year, we provided information on how Case Western Reserve supports and protect all members of our campus community. We want to repeat it again, as it is pertinent to Dreamers affected by any changes to the DACA program.

Case Western Reserve commits to:

• welcome and support students without regard to their immigration status;
• continue to admit students consistent with our non-discrimination policy; and
• maintain the privacy of student records (including documented or immigration status), releasing only such information when required by law.

Last fall, we joined more than 600 colleges and universities encouraging our country’s leaders to allow Dreamers to remain in the country while leaders developed a more permanent solution. In the spring, we joined more than 560 colleges and universities in signing a similar letter to President Trump. We will ask our congressional delegation to support the Dreamers, and we will continue to advocate for them through the Association of American Universities and the American Council on Education.

We are not the only ones on campus taking a stand on this issue. Today at 4 p.m., the student organization La Alianza will host a rally for the campus community in front of Adelbert Hall in support of DACA.

Finally, we want to remind students affected by today’s announcement that resources are available to them at the Center for International Affairs, University Health and Counseling Services, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Dean of Students team, and the Office for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity, among others.

You are all welcome here.

Sincerely,

Barbara R. Snyder
President

W.A. “Bud” Baeslack
Provost and Executive Vice President

University Guidance Regarding U.S. Supreme Court Action on Travel Ban, June 26, 2017

The U.S. Supreme Court today reinstated parts of the White House’s travel ban, but maintained exceptions for individuals with a credible claim of a relationship with a person or entity in the U.S.

As this time, the travel ban applies to foreign nationals —people who are not naturalized citizens—from six countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

In simplest terms, the Court’s ruling means that foreign nationals must be able to demonstrate genuine familial relationships with individuals in the U.S. or formal and documented relationships with organizations —including universities—in this country.

As always, Case Western Reserve continues to support and value our international students, staff, and faculty. While we are pleased that the justices recognized the “concrete hardship” involved in barring entry of those with clear reasons to enter the country, we still are assessing the decision’s legal and practical effects. In this context, we continue to recommend that members of our community from one of the six affected countries refrain from travel outside the U.S.

The Center for International Affairs encourages any member of the university community with questions involving international students to email international@case.edu or visit its offices in Room 143 of Tomlinson Hall. Those with questions regarding international faculty or staff should contact Mark.Murray1@case.edu or call 216.368.4289.

We will provide updates as more information becomes available.

University Guidance Regarding Federal Judicial Orders, March 16, 2017

Today a federal judge in Maryland issued a ruling temporarily blocking provisions of President Trump’s March 6 Executive Order related to immigration. This decision followed a ruling last night from a federal judge in Hawaii that also temporarily halted implementation of the ban.

At a rally in Tennessee last night, President Trump said that the administration would pursue the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition, the U.S. Justice Department issued a statement that it would continue to defend the order in the courts. Finally, yesterday a federal judge in Washington heard a challenge to the March 6 order, and is expected to release a decision on that case as well.

Given the dynamic nature of recent developments, university officials recommend that any member of the campus community who is from one of the six nations cited in the March 6 order consult with the appropriate university office (for students, the Center for International Affairs, and for faculty and staff, the Office of Human Resources) if they are contemplating travel outside the U.S.

University officials are reviewing the new rulings now and also will confer with outside experts and national higher education organizations to evaluate whether additional guidance is merited; if so, it will be posted on this website as well.

Meanwhile, the Center for International Affairs encourages any member of the university community with questions involving international students to email international@case.edu or visit their offices in Room 143 of Tomlinson Hall. Those with questions regarding international faculty or staff should contact Mark.Murray1@case.eduor call 216.368.4289.

From the President and Provost, Feb. 2, 2017

To the Faculty, Staff and Students of Case Western Reserve University:

It is said that in the most difficult of moments, character is revealed.

Your response to Friday’s executive order has shown our campus as a place of engaged, caring, and compassionate individuals.

From the people offering assistance to students from the countries the order cited… to the “all are welcome here” signs around Ford Auditorium Monday… to the countless hours staff and faculty have dedicated to trying to find answers for affected employees and students… your energy and efforts have been nothing short of inspiring.

For all you have done, and will do, we begin by saying “thank you.”

As we write today, the circumstances surrounding the order have become, if anything, even more fluid. We will continue to send email messages regarding major developments, but also have developed a website, case.edu/executive-order-updates, that the university will update regularly with campus and national news relating to the executive order. The site also has a section where members of the campus community can submit individual questions, with or without providing their names or contact information.

We also want to remind you about the services available to international members of our community. The Center for International Affairs has extensive resources for students, and can be contacted at international@case.edu. The Office of Human Resources also has an office that assists international faculty and staff; its leader can be reached at mark.murray1@case.edu.

In addition to notifying you about these resources, we also wanted to address questions and issues raised in the petition we received during winter break regarding the university’s commitment to support and protect all members of the campus community, including those from underrepresented minority groups and/or other nations.

Case Western Reserve commits to:

• welcome and support students without regard to their immigration status;
• continue to admit students consistent with our non-discrimination policy;
• maintain the privacy of student records (including documented or immigration status), releasing only such information when required by law;
• value civility and the free exchange of ideas;
• support diversity and inclusion as core values; and
• enhance the international nature of our campus.

As part of fulfilling these commitments, the university provides such programs as the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center. We also have the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity (OIDEO). Both of these offices provide extensive diversity awareness training programs—including, for OIDEO, sessions to help educate faculty search committees regarding bias that even unknowingly might affect assessments of candidates.

More recently, the Office of Student Affairs launched a Bias Reporting System for students to share their concerns regarding experiences they regard as discriminatory. This system exists to provide students support and educate the campus through regular aggregate reports regarding the types of issues students raise.

Ultimately, however, rules and enforcement are but a small part of improving campus climate. The primary tools of change are within all of you. Your individual conversations, facilitated dialogues, classroom discussions and so many other small and large interactions—those honest, mutually respectful moments are where we make the greatest, most lasting progress. Seize such opportunities. Try to listen as least as much as you talk. And remember that you are part of an institution wholly committed to making this campus an inviting place for all.

Sincerely,

Barbara R. Snyder
President

W.A. “Bud” Baeslack
Provost and Executive Vice President

From the President and Provost, Jan. 29, 2017

To the Faculty, Staff and Students of Case Western Reserve:

Knowledge and understanding have no boundaries.

This principle is so fundamental to who we are as a university that our 2008 and 2013 strategic plans both cited “promotion of an inclusive culture of global citizenship” as essential to our mission.

Over the last decade, we have dramatically increased our international programs—including admissions recruitment, study abroad participation and academic collaborations around the world. All of these steps, and many others, have enhanced learning and discovery even more than we could have imagined.

The Executive Order President Trump signed Friday, then, is antithetical to our core values, in that it directly hinders our ability to fulfill our obligations to our students—and to society at large.

More immediately, the order has created enormous uncertainty for those from the predominantly Muslim nations the order affects. To all of you, we express our deepest regret for the fear and worry you are experiencing right now. Please know that we at Case Western Reserve will do all that we can to provide you information, assistance and support as you deal with this development and its impacts.

To that end, officials from international affairs, student affairs and human resources will host an informational meeting regarding the order and available resources at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow (Monday, Jan. 30) in Ford Auditorium. In addition, we are reaching out to faculty, staff and students from the countries cited in the order to let them know of our concern and commitment to provide help and guidance. Those with questions now can email international@case.edu (for students) or carolyn.gregory@case.edu (for faculty and staff).

Meanwhile, we want to assure the entire campus that we are working closely with colleagues at other campuses as well as the Association of American Universities (AAU). The association’s president, Mary Sue Coleman, issued a statement on the order last night that we both endorse. You can read it on the AAU’s website.

The weekend’s legal and political developments demonstrate the fluid nature of this situation; we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

Sincerely,

Barbara R. Snyder
President

W.A. “Bud” Baeslack
Provost and Executive Vice President

From the President and Provost, Jan. 28, 2017

To the Faculty, Staff and Students of Case Western Reserve University:

We write today regarding the Executive Order that President Trump signed Friday suspending entry into the U.S. of people from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for the next 90 days. The order also bars from the U.S. refugees from any country for 120 days.

While media coverage of the effects of the order has been extensive, the precise implications of the order are not yet entirely clear. In this context, we recommend that individuals from the seven countries listed above refrain from international travel at this time. We are monitoring the situation closely and consulting extensively with our national organizations and colleagues from other campuses as developments unfold. We will continue to update our community as more details become available. 

In addition, the Center for International Affairs will hold an information session for faculty, staff and students early this week; we will provide the time, date and location as soon as they are determined.

Until then, students with questions regarding the Executive Order or related issues should email international@case.edu. Faculty and staff with such inquiries should email AskHr@case.edu.

Sincerely,

Barbara R. Snyder
President

W.A. “Bud” Baeslack
Provost and Executive Vice President