Dear Unnamed,
On September 3, the case that NAFSA and a coalition of higher education associations and unions brought against the Department of Homeland Security final rule to end the Duration of Status policy and impose new limits on academic mobility had its first day in court. I was fortunate enough to be in the federal courtroom in Boston for the hearing and can say it was a proud day for the field of international education. Our legal counsel was outstanding and the judge asked very pertinent questions of both parties. Stories by the Boston Globe, the News Guild (a coplaintiff), and the Harvard Crimson provide more context.
The day before the hearing, the defendant, Department of Homeland Security, submitted their response to our request for a preliminary injunction which would bring the final rule to a halt before the effective date of September 15. And now we await the judge’s decision. As NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Fanta Aw said in a joint statement, “we remain committed to fighting for what is right and in the best interest of our students, our institutions, and our nation.” More about our case can be found on our litigation page.
Speaking of outstanding attorneys, NAFSA’s own Heather Stewart was recently awarded the America Immigration Lawyers Association President’s Commendation for Exemplary Service. As NAFSA Deputy Executive Director Jill Allen Murray posted on LinkedIn, “Heather is trusted by many on the Hill and throughout DC for her legal expertise that sits squarely at the intersection of immigration and higher education policy.” And never has this expertise been more important to our field! Feel free to give Jill’s LinkedIn post—and Heather—some love on Linkedin.
A pair of op-eds published this week provide a macro and a micro-level look at the negative effects of this administration’s immigration policies on the U.S. economy. Stuart Anderson points out in the Washington Post that “Donald Trump is on track to become the first president in a century to oversee a U.S. labor force that will be smaller when he leaves office than when he entered...and it’s largely because of Trump’s immigration restrictions. Unless those policies change, a shrinking workforce will cause slower economic growth and lead to more expensive public debt.”
In the New York Times, a tech founder writes, “In the years after I finished my degrees, I started a financial-technology company in Palo Alto, Calif., backed by American investors, that now serves more than 500,000 customers in the United States. But these days I’m running my American company from abroad.” The individual, a Tanzanian, was educated in the United States and founded his company here but because he carries a passport from a country affected by the current travel ban, he is not eligible to renew his business visitor visa which expired earlier this summer.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
If you celebrate Labor Day, I hope your holiday weekend is blissfully labor-free! I myself will be spending the weekend near the Maine homestead of Frances Perkins, former U.S. Secretary of Labor (the first female cabinet member) and a major architect of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, including the 40-hour work week. Thank you, Ms. Perkins!
Best,
Erica
Erica Stewart
Senior Director, Advocacy & Strategic Communications
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
