NACAC President Nancy Beane sent the following message to members today:

Dear Colleagues,

This past Friday’s executive order restricting immigration has shaken the admission profession and the institutions we serve. The policy is fundamentally opposed to NACAC’s values, and we have begun strategizing with colleagues in the higher education community and others to discover ways to help ease the anxiety students, families, and professionals are experiencing.

Students have already been snared in legal limbo, and many face the reality that their education in the US may not be allowed to continue. Currently enrolled international students who are abroad for winter break may not be admitted back into the country; students may be stranded during school closures with no place to stay; and families may not be able to join their loved ones for graduation ceremonies. The president’s order has caused anxiety worldwide and will negatively affect current and future international students in the United States, as well as Americans looking to study abroad. We urge the administration to rescind this action immediately. Closed minds and closed borders significantly weaken our position in the world.

NACAC firmly opposes President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily banning individuals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US or obtaining visas, including F-1 and J-1 student visas.

We have taken a strong public position against the executive order and will continue to advocate on behalf of our members and the students they serve. Our leadership, including the Board of Directors and standing committees, as well as staff, are monitoring developments as they relate to the executive order, circumstances and details of which are changing by the minute. We will relay information through all available channels as it becomes available.

We are partnering with our colleagues in the education, immigration, and other fields to rally support for the students and schools affected by the executive order and will provide educational resources in the coming weeks as details become more clear about the status and/or effect of this and other executive orders.

We have issued an action alert for members who would like to contact their elected officials to oppose this executive order. In addition, we invite you to share information about colleagues, students, or others who are affected by this executive order so NACAC staff can inform policy discussions about the impact of this action. Please send your comments to legislative@nacacnet.org.

NACAC has a longstanding history of opposition to policies or actions that discriminate on the basis of national origin or religion, or could otherwise infringe on fundamental human rights. We will articulate the depth and breadth of the effects of this executive order to legislators, federal agencies, and the White House.

Nancy Beane
NACAC President