Dear UWM faculty and staff,
You have likely seen news reports about actions affecting international students’ status across the country, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detentions and visa revocations. We are not aware of any detentions involving UWM-affiliated individuals or any federal law enforcement activity on campus. As of Wednesday morning, April 9, there are 10 UWM international students and recent graduates whose visas have been revoked or their status terminated.
There is no reason to believe the terminations are specific to participation in free speech events or political activity, and the precise rationale for these terminations is unclear.
UWM’s Center for International Education has been or will be in contact with all affected individuals to support them as they can. In addition, CIE has proactively sent communications to all international students to remind them of available resources. While CIE cannot provide legal advice, immigration coordinators are taking appointments with students and can refer individuals to legal resources upon request.
The Universities of Wisconsin have a newly expanded FAQ for both international students and faculty and staff on the UWs Federal Updates website. They will continue to add additional information on visas, travel and non-citizen rights, and we encourage you to check it frequently. Professional staff on UWM’s International Student and Scholar Services team are in communication with colleagues to share how best to support our international students. For questions, contact Jennifer Gruenewald at jgruene@uwm.edu. We also encourage students and employees to make use of the resources available to them through the Employee Assistance Program (for employees) and the Student Health and Wellness Center (for students).
UWM continues to closely monitor developments regarding immigration and will provide current information on UWM’s Federal Updates webpage, which also includes the latest updates shared by the UWs.
Sincerely,
Mark Mone
Chancellor
Andrew Daire
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Jennifer Gruenewald
CIE Executive Director