Bryn Mawr Staff and students received an email addressing concerns around changes in immigration policy by the Trump administration. The statement, sent on April 14, was signed by Dean of Graduate Studies Xuemei May Cheng, Provost Tim Harte, Acting Undergraduate Co-Deans Tomiko Jenkins and Katie Krimmel, Director of Human Resources Martin Mastascusa, and Director of the Graduate School of Social Work Janet Shapiro. This email follows a similar statement sent on January 29, “Supporting community members in uncertain times,” which discussed the college’s position on protecting students in the face of potential Trump Administration policies, including escalations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.
The April 14 statement, titled “Important global travel, student visa, and ICE guidance,” began with guidelines for travel. It clarified that Bryn Mawr policy requires all students and encourages all faculty and staff to register Bryn Mawr-related travel in the BMC travel registry for their own safety. “The registry includes emergency contacts and other important information that the College needs to support travelers should an emergency occur abroad.”
For international students, the statement advised traveling with “all documents related to your immigration status, including your passport, valid US Visa stamp, Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 with a valid travel signature, and proof of Financial Support.” Additionally, it recommended obtaining a letter of attendance or employment, to “only be presented at the port of entry if requested by the immigration officer.”
Other potential immigration issues for international students were also discussed. The statement referenced the proposed plan by the Trump Administration to introduce a travel ban on at least 41 countries. The plan includes a color-coding system in which “red” countries’ citizens would be completely barred from entering the US and have their visas immediately revoked, “orange” countries’ citizens would have student, travel, and some other visas revoked, and “yellow” countries’ citizens would face the same rules as orange countries if they don’t “address deficiencies” within 60 days. While the plan has not been enacted, it does threaten the visas of multiple international students at Bryn Mawr, according to several anonymous students. The statement did not specifically discuss a plan if the ban is put in place. However, it did offer a list of Bryn Mawr staff to contact with concerns.
Students who are not citizens of the countries listed in the proposed ban may also face visa complications. The statement stated, “the federal government has also announced its intention to revoke visas of international students and scholars deemed to be supporters of Hamas or the attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023. While it remains unclear who may be directly impacted, we suggest that all members of the Bryn Mawr community update your emergency contact info in BIONIC to include at least one emergency contact in the United States.”
The statement encourages students who are concerned about how these policies may impact their immigration to contact Candice Love, Patricia Lausch, Beth Shepard-Rabadam, or A.T. Ortíz.
Travel difficulties for transgender students, staff, and faculty were also noted. The statement clarified that passports with updated gender markers, including X, are still valid. “However, be prepared for potential scrutiny and carry backup documents such as a birth certificate and a copy of the federal policy.”
Finally, the statement addressed more in-depth the college’s policies on cooperating with ICE and its rules for student and faculty interactions with ICE agents. It stated, “Bryn Mawr College is private property, and our protocols are clear: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are not permitted on campus without a judicial warrant or order (Please note that Merion Ave is a public street).”
Students, staff, and faculty are advised to call Campus Safety if they see someone they believe is an ICE agent on campus or if an ICE agent requests access to student housing or a college building. The statement also clarifies that “students may not authorize ICE agents to enter campus buildings on Bryn Mawr College property.” Additionally, faculty and staff “are not generally authorized to accept service of a court order or subpoena,” and “only designated staff should accept service of a court order or subpoena.” The statement concludes by encouraging students, staff, and faculty to default to contacting Campus Safety at 610-526-7911 if they’re ever unsure what to do.
Editor’s Note: Due to unprecedented circumstances, the Bi-College News editorial board has chosen to forgo previous standards in place surrounding anonymous quotes for the purposes of this article. In order to protect students across the Bi-Co, no identifying information (including name, gender, country of origin, or college) is being provided alongside quotations given by international students. For specific inquiries into our newsroom’s ethical guidelines and standards, please reach out to us at news.bico@gmail.com.
