Memorandum to USC Faculty, Staff, and Students
June 26, 2017
I write to update you on Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court opinion based on the Administration’s revised travel ban and to offer our continued support for our entire international community.
The Court, in reviewing the decisions of two federal appeals courts that blocked President Trump’s revised executive order, stated that the travel restriction cannot be applied to an individual who has “a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.” Those relationships cited in the opinion include students admitted into a U.S. institution of higher education, workers who have accepted an offer of employment with a U.S. organization, and lecturers invited to address an American audience. In each of those scenarios, individuals coming from the affected countries – Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – should be able to acquire visas.
To that end, it’s our understanding that USC faculty, staff and students, continuing and incoming, have proof of their connection to our university. These include admissions letters and/or student identification, written job offers and/or appointment letters, and contracts.
We have a variety of resources to help those community members who have questions on these issues. For continuing students: the Office of International Services; for incoming students: Office of Admissions; and for faculty and staff who have questions about visas: Faculty/Staff Visa Services. Additionally, USC’s Gould School of Law has a Legal Advice Project that provides free, confidential legal consultations for those who have questions about their legal status or legal rights under the immigration laws: USC Gould’s Student, Faculty and Staff Immigrant Legal Advice Project. For more information, there are resources on the provost’s website.
As we have said, we advise against non-urgent travel to and from these six countries until the situation is further clarified. The Court will hear the case in the Fall.
We have among the highest international student population among U.S. universities, and we will continue to take steps to ensure all of our students, faculty and staff can live and learn in our vibrant and exciting community of scholars.
Cc:
C. L. Max Nikias
Academic Senate
Academic Deans
President’s Cabinet
Provost’s Cabinet