Dear International Students,
Following on President Crutcher’s message, we know that many of you are aware of and concerned about the implications of the Executive Order issued by President Donald Trump on Friday, January 27, which was then subjected to judicial action late on January 28 on behalf of those who were in transit and already held visas issued by the U.S. government.
The degree of uncertainty resulting from the Executive Order and the subsequent partial judicial stay is high. Some people with current visas have already been detained or turned away at airports.
As Dean of International Education, I am writing to provide information relating to our faculty, staff, and students in the context of the EO as currently understood. The Office of International Education is not aware at present of any student, staff or faculty member who is immediately affected by this order, but we know that some of you may have plans and questions about proceeding. If you have any concerns about how the order will affect you or your family members, we urge you to reach out to International Education as soon as possible (to me on mmerritt@richmond.edu or to Krittika Onsanit, director of international students services, on konsanit@richmond.edu). We are in touch with immigration and advocacy groups in our field to stay informed about the latest developments, and will contact you with any updates about issues that may affect your ability to travel, work, or study in the United States.
All of us in International Education at the University of Richmond are deeply grateful for the strong support so many members of our community have expressed over the weekend for the well-being of our international faculty, staff, and students, including offers of housing during spring break. We appreciate this mutual and deep commitment to sustaining our diverse global community, a necessity as we grapple with issues of great consequence. As President Crutcher said in his message today, UR has long had in place a process for supporting students who cannot go home due to political or other reasons, and that process will expand as needed in response to this changing landscape.
Yours sincerely,
Martha Merritt
Martha L. Merritt, Ph.D.
Dean and the Carole M. Weinstein Chair of International Education
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