January 29, 2017

University issues statement, advisory following presidential order


Following President Trump’s executive order barring entry to the United States by those coming from seven Muslim-majority countries, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln issued the following statement and shared an advisory with its international community of scholars.

“All are welcome at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, including our 3,000 scholars and students from around the world. We are committed to helping all in our university community who may be impacted by the recent executive order. The university is advising those who may be impacted by the order to defer travel outside the United States until there is more clarity on the situation.”

On Jan. 28, Sonia Feigenbaum, associate vice chancellor for international engagement and global strategies at Nebraska, sent the following letter to the university’s international students and scholars:

“We at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are committed to supporting all members of our community. We are an inclusive, globally engaged university that has welcomed students and scholars from around the world for more than a century. We have built a university community that embraces cultural and linguistic diversity, and we have thrived by working toward a common goal to make the world better through education and research.

“On Jan. 28, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order that impacts immigration procedures for refugees and citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. We are grateful to count among our international community more than 3,000 students and scholars from around the world and about 100 from the seven nations identified in the executive order.

“We write to express our unwavering commitment to all who may be affected by the measures stated in the executive order. If you are in the United States under an F-1, J-1, F-2, or J-2 visa status and you are from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen, we strongly encourage you to not travel internationally in the immediate future, until we have additional information. If you are from any other country that is predominantly Muslim, you may want to follow the same precautions until more details are obtained.

“Late on Jan. 28, a federal judge in New York issued a stay on the president’s executive order. We will continue to update you with any new developments and will share information promptly. In the meantime, we remind you that the International Student and Scholar Office is available to meet with you for any questions or concerns you may have. The office is on the second floor of Seaton Hall and can be reached by phone at 402-472-0324 or by e-mail at isso@unl.edu.”