On April 28, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) of the University of Denver issued two resolutions reaffirming its commitment to international students currently being targeted under the Trump administration.
“Between 1,000 and 4,000 students in the United States have had their visas or SEVIS revoked in just three weeks,” wrote the authors of the resolution, Director of Student Experience Rachel Bienstock and President Pro-Tempore Kabe Aberle.
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records are how the Department of Homeland Security maintains information regarding non-citizen students studying in the U.S.
According to recent ICE statements, an individuals status is not immediately affected by a SEVIS record termination, although there is no current precedent in law for this type of situation.
The USG resolution comes at a time of great uncertainty for DU international students. While the Clarion has heard reports that several DU students had their visas revoked by the federal government, the Clarion was unable to verify this information.
The Clarion did receive a comment from Jon Stone, DU’s Director of Media Relations, Marketing & Communications.
Stone stated that while a DU student’s SEVIS record was deleted, it was subsequently restored.
“As a university, we have not heard from any students who have had their visas revoked. Additionally, we no longer have a student with a terminated SEVIS record,” wrote Stone in an email to the Clarion.
This reinstatement of a previously deleted SEVIS record occurred not only at DU, but at over 240 universities nationwide Friday, when the Trump administration backed down from the multi-state legal battle over the terminations.
The resolution was made after Dean Fritz Mayer of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies released two statements of his own, which offered to connect international students with legal resources, advising and even coordination with University leadership.
“The Josef Korbel School of International Studies Dean Fritz Mayer released two statements of support regarding institutional policy and social awareness in response to national political dynamics,” the resolution stated.
The resolution comes directly before the USG presidential election, which is set to begin voting on Monday night. In an interview from last week, the current president of USG told the Clarion that USG had been ramping up its efforts to support international students.
“The most support that we can do [for international students] is advocating and making sure that the systems and structures of the school are working in their favor,” said Tyler Miller.
The resolutions also directed concerned and worried students to on-campus resources such as the Health and Counseling Center (HCC) and DU’s webpage for General Immigrant Community Resources.
The Center for Immigration Policy and Research, an institute led by several DU professors, has also been hosting its “Know Your Rights” series in conjunction with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition. These events are open not only to students, but also to the general public.
If ICE is present on campus, DU recommends that students report their presence to the Office of the General Counsel.
