Dear Matt,
Good news! Our advocacy in support of the State Department’s Educational and Cultural Affairs programs is working. Thanks to the more than 24,000 letters sent by concerned advocates like you, a House sign on letter led by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) bearing 47 signatures, and coverage by major news media including the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Associated Press, the Alliance for International Exchange has determined that, as of March 25, about 85 percent of pending payments to their member organizations have been disbursed.
While this is welcome movement, we remain concerned about the balance of unreleased funds and future funding for these programs. Thus, our call for Congress to intervene continues! Help us convey to Congress the importance of the international education and exchange programs at the Departments of Education and State!
Meanwhile, the concerning immigration enforcement actions against international students and scholars in the United States continue. A new basis for these actions is a provision included in a January 29 executive order that states: “an alien whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable.”
NAFSA members will be invited to attend a special webinar next Thursday, April 3 at 1 pm ET to examine the nexus between international students, legal challenges, and higher education institutions’ duty of care. A member email will be sent early next week with details.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Thank you kindly.
Best,
Erica
Erica Stewart
Senior Director, Advocacy & Strategic Communications
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
