University of Michigan Boldly Defies Trump’s ‘Vetting Measures’

The University of Michigan on Saturday pushed back against President Donald Trump’s “vetting measures,” intended, the commander-in-chief said in an executive order signed a day earlier, to keep “radical terrorists” out of the country. In a statement, U-M President Mark S. Schlissel said officials won’t release the immigration status of its students.

“We are currently focused on potential changes to immigration laws, policies and practices that could affect the status and safety of U-M students and personnel, particularly international students and those who may be undocumented,” Schlissel said in the statement. “This includes several programs and policies that affect international students and faculty.

“Additionally,” Schlissel continued, “we are working to understand the implications on our community of the ‘extreme vetting’ executive order blocking immigration from certain countries.”

Trump’s order bans the issuance of visas and other immigration benefits to “nationals of particular concern” for 90 days, indefinitely suspends the Syrian refugee program and bans the resettlement of refugees from the affected countries for four months. The countries affected by the vetting measure have Muslim majorities, and include Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan Syria and Yemen.

A Yale University doctoral student from Iran who is currently doing research overseas tweeted that he’s unsure if he will be allowed to return to the United States to continue his education.

Thomas Erdbrink, the Iran bureau chief for the New York Times, sent out a series of tweets from Iranian students worried they won’t be allowed entry back into the United States.

Several universities across the country have advised students to avoid traveling out of the country, or to return as quickly as possible if they’re already abroad.

See Also

• Immigrants, Refugees Stopped By Trump Order From Entering US; Legal Challenge Filed
• Trump Signs Order Introducing ‘New Vetting Measures’

The University of Michigan’s main campus is in Ann Arbor, an unofficial sanctuary city that has a reputation for shielding undocumented immigrants. A secondary campus is in Dearborn, which has the highest concentration of Arab-American residents of any U.S. city. About 40 percent of the city’s nearly 96,000 residents are Arab-American, and the majority of them are practicing Muslims.

Read Schlissel’s full statement.

Photo of University of Michigan Law School by Jason Crotty via Flickr Commons