DETROIT - The ACLU of Michigan and Michigan Immigrant Rights Center condemn the Trump administration’s continued use of authoritarian tactics to attack international and noncitizen students and our higher education system.
Abruptly revoking international student visas of immigrant students at the University of Michigan, Central Michigan University, and other universities and colleges in Michigan and around the nation is another attempt by this administration to sow chaos and fear, needlessly upending the future of these students’ education and lives. These actions highlight the complete lack of due process and fairness that citizens and non-citizens are facing across our immigration system, and the erosion of students’ first amendment rights.
The termination of status for many of these students is an even more insidious threat to due process. These determinations provide no opportunity to respond and cannot easily be challenged within the United States by the students or the universities and colleges.
America’s universities and colleges have long stood as beacons for freedom and democracy, but today that light is diminished. This administration continues to drive the false narrative that noncitizens are villains - and it is a lie. International and noncitizen students are valued members of our campus and local communities, and contribute to community life in myriad ways.
Together, we will continue to fight for the rights of vulnerable communities and push back on cruel efforts aimed at dividing us. We will not fall for it. A threat to one community is a threat to all of us and all of our rights.
We urge students and their families to contact an immigration attorney for assistance and closely monitor their email for any communication from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and their school.
Find an immigration attorney: https://www.ailalawyer.com
Learn more about the rights of student visa holders.